Choosing Weakness
by Biku-sensei-sez-meow
Summary: A Spirit Detective is an unshakable paragon who seeks to do good by protecting the human world from outside threats. They are admirable, and wholly good, with a certain set of morals that place them above the rest. I may bear that title, but I share none of the requirements... unlike Yusuke, the other Spirit Detective. ...The better one. OC/? Graphic Violence Warning.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, let's go ahead and get the disclaimer out of the way first chapter. I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any of the musical selections I decide to start off each chapter with. They all belong to whoever the hell they belong to, which is not me. I only own my OC's.**

**Such a disclaimer should be fairly obvious, but you never know, I could secretly be Yoshihiro Togashi in disguise, and you would all be none the wiser. Or I could be his evil twin trying to steal his intellectual property. In any case, stick around until the end for authors notes, if you last that long. I get this may not be your flavor, so please, leave your hate at the door.**

**On with the "sho".**

* * *

_I killed a dog so smart and rare,_  
_Touched its technicolor hair._  
_I left it bruised, and black, and lame._  
_I left it, running full of shame._

_Oh I'm a guilty one,_  
_and I know what I have done._  
_Yeah, I'm a troubled one,_  
_and I won't be forgiven._

_\- Marina Diamandis- Guilty_

**Chapter 1: Cold Fire**

At any given second, on any given day, whenever you blink, whenever you laugh, or cry, or roll over in your sleep, someone is dying. It's not something you can change, and it's not something that can be reasoned. It just happens. If you're lucky, you'll never have to see it for yourself, but that doesn't change the fact that on August 23, at 1:37 AM, a man named Kyo Ando died in an alley two miles south of where I live.

He was 32 and 54 days old, I made sure to count. He worked as a sales associate for a company that dealt with antique and high-end kitchenware, tea cups and fine china and the likes. Their reach was far, and he had to travel a lot to broker deals and gauge the values of certain pieces. This didn't leave a lot of time for a life outside of work, and his home was not frequently occupied. Perhaps the idea of staying in one place too long frightened him. I guess I'll never know.

Ando grew up in foster care, and he moved from family to family, each probably worse than the last, but that's just speculation. I've never had the misfortune of being in the system.

He had no wife, no children, and no immediate family. He did however have a cat named Mami, a dark brown and black tabby, plump from too many treats. Mami traveled with him wherever he went. She was his ticket, his weapon, his ingenious excuse. After all, he was just a man taking his cat out for some air. And if he happened upon a young girl who wanted to pet his cat, who was to say he was the reason for her disappearance?

I don't like to think about that day anymore. I was only 10, and my mother had passed from lung cancer the week before. She smoked, far too often for my tastes, and it was a habit that carried on to my sister, though she was only 17 at the time. I was angry with her. She was so careless and nonchalant about it, and she just waved me off. How could someone just throw away their only life like that? I yelled, I screamed, I cried, and she stared, and smoked. After that, I just stormed away.

I still don't really know why I was so mad. Sad, perhaps, that mother was gone, missing something in my life, but mad at my sister? People die every day. Mother died, but she had to. We all have to. It just makes a difference when, I suppose. Perhaps I was angry because I knew one day I'd be sad, though to me, that doesn't make much sense. I'm not heartless, mind you. I was always like this to some degree, but the severity of my emotional retardation was somehow less back then. I experienced a range of emotions then that suddenly vanished, like the sorrow, the pain of loss that drove me out into the night.

Something about this night made me see that some deaths have little to no effect, while others cause storms, and waves in society. Every death is planned, coordinated by fate, meant to be when it is meant to be. It doesn't matter when, or how old you are, or even who you are. One death results in a chain of events leading to a completely new life, just as fate designed.

I didn't pay attention to where I was going. I only know that when I walked by the motel about 2 miles south from home, there was a man outside, with a cat, asking me if I was okay. I didn't know how to respond. I wasn't ever a social child, barring my outward facade of shy and polite. I was too different inside to have friends, and it had never bothered me much. My social life was limited to my family, and I was content.

I stopped, and said I was fine. It was chilly, and though my neon sneakers and white jeans were warm, my grey long-sleeve hooded shirt was very thin, and the tank top underneath did little against the chill. It was never very warm here, even in the summer.

He told me I didn't look fine, and called me over to pet his cat, Mami. Animals have a way of making people feel better, he said to me. I was young, unhappy, lonely, confused… But I was not by any means stupid. Something was off, I could tell. The gene ran in our family, and that came in pretty useful for us. My brother fancied himself some sort of psychic hero with his powers. He still does, as far as I know.

I am no hero. I am not brave, for bravery requires the catalyst of fear, but neither am I a coward. I guess I just didn't care. Looking back, I can see my sister in me, allowing the tide to pull me closer to drowning in the sea, uncaring, completely apathetic. The death of a mother is something that affects you in a way that the death of a pet, or a friend, or even a sibling can't be compared to. I felt so hollow, and I longed for whatever trouble this could bring. I expected that trouble was the only thing that could save me now. So, my sister and I picked our poisons. She chose the cigarettes. I chose Kyo Ando and Mami.

Once I came closer, he released the cat, and she ran away into the alley by the motel. He asked me to help him catch her. I knew this was bad. I knew, but I followed him, curious to see where this would lead. I think he knew that I was wary, because he waited until we were close enough to see the little platter of tuna the cat was eating from, one he had placed there purposely, before turning and lunging at me.

I screamed, but not out of fear or surprise. It was too predictable to be a shock to me. Yet, I had still held onto the hope that perhaps the situation was not what it seemed, that perhaps he really was just a man trying to catch his cat. But no, I was right to be wary, and the injustice of his actions, the unfairness of life to throw these situations at me, it was all only fuel for my rage.

He held a knife to my stomach and told me to take off my shirt. My hands trembled and my eyes watered with unshed tears, holding back my anger for just a few moments to let out a convincing whine into his palm. He chuckled as I first slid out of my overshirt, then my tank. His grip loosened, and he told me what a good little girl I was, stroking my braided hair with a disgusting hand. When he got to the end of the long braid, he yanked it hard, and I whimpered in pain, my scalp not meant to be subject to that abuse.

I asked him in a meek whisper if I could move away a little, so I could take off my pants when he told me to. He sneered at me, leering with his perfectly straight teeth and glistening, lust-glazed brown eyes. As he leaned in, I took my chance, and turned the tables. I threw my weight forward into my head, hitting his nose and causing him to rear back. Blood spurted from his face and he pulled his hand up to stem the flow, but it was to no avail, because I didn't stop there.

I pushed myself to my knees, a feral growl tearing out of my throat. As soon as he had put a good foot and a half distance between our bodies, I swung my hand around, fingers together and slightly bent so as not to let any air escape, and slammed the appendage to his ear. This caused the air pressure to change rapidly, which causes confusion, disorientation, and a hell of a lot of pain.

He fell backwards, and I raised up both my knees, and lashed out at the tent he had grown between his legs. He howled in agony, his hands indecisive about where they wanted to go, flitting between his nose, ear, and crotch. Somewhere along the way, he had dropped the knife. It lay beside him as he rolled slowly, groaning and whimpering, sounds that sounded so much more real than the pitiful attempts I had released earlier.

My name, Hotaru, means 'Firefly'. A small insect with a bright life, and a wonder to see.

One thing I had learned early on was that I was small, smaller than the rest of my family, who towered above everyone. I was tiny, a field mouse to hulking rats. People would automatically assume that because I'm small, and a girl, I'm weak, and an easy target. My sensei, ever the thoughtful, wise man, had told me not to outgrow the stereotype, but embrace it, and use it. Be the firefly. Play the weakling until the opportune moment, then let my light burn, so bright they either burned with me, or were blinded. I had needed some practice with this, as I don't take well to rudeness. My brother always told me not to let people make fun of me, and to hold myself as high as I could. This technique may have worked for him, being as freakishly tall as he was, but I enjoyed making fools out of people much more than ignoring them.

I stood quickly and watched him for any sign of retaliation, then stepped forward and picked up the knife. His pathetically incoherent babble filled me with satisfaction, the feeling overcoming my anger to make room for pride. I glanced down at the knife in my hands, marveling at the ease with which I handled a weapon that had come inches from impaling me.

My gaze turned up, tracking the man's movements. I took a step.

_Run now, I said to myself. Get the police. They will give this man what he deserves, and he can never hurt you again. You have to run, you have to-_

SQUELCH!

I didn't finish my thought.

I've thought about that night over and over, and I still cannot explain my actions. For as I coached myself on what to do, what I'd been taught, I'd been inching closer and closer to the agonized bastard on the ground, until I finally knelt beside him, and pressed the knife into the space above his sternum, where the neck hollows out and the muscles stop abruptly. It slid effortlessly through layers of viscera until punching into the pulsing river inside.

He looked up at me, shock, pain, rage, but overall, fear swimming in the ocean of tears falling freely down his cheeks. I watched, not entirely fascinated, or curious, but not entirely malicious either. I just stared, tilting my head to the side. Blood soaked his front and came from his mouth as he gurgled unintelligibly, staining his teeth. The punctured artery fountained onto my hand. Droplets exploded randomly and dotted his skin and mine like stars in a clear sky, lines and streaks like strips of the milky way, wafting over the sky.

Really, I couldn't see the difference between the scene before me and _Convergence_, a painting of which a copy hangs on the wall of my school's library. Splattered red amongst the bright colors of his shirt, blue and yellow, and his light skin, and the black air, and the grey concrete.

Enraptured by the vision, I plunged the knife deeper, and he arched, making jerky, thrashing movements as if to throw me off, or perhaps to fight off the shadow I could see closing over his eyes. His last sight was me, without a smile, without a frown, without a care. His last contribution to the world was to be enraptured, and destroyed by the firefly.

People say there is a light that goes out in your eyes when you die, but it's not true. Not for him at least. He had no light in his life, and therefore none in his eyes. They simply grew still, glassy, empty, as though he were petrified by the sight of a monster. They did not dim, and they did not close. They stared, wide and unseeing, death taking on a look of pure terror on his face as his head jerked back three times, a guttural hiccup his last sound before time closed a hand on his body and he ceased to be.

The blood continued to pour freely, but I knew it wouldn't for very long. I sat there, just watching, until the blood flow began to thin out. Maybe a few minutes went by before I came back to my senses. I looked up quickly when I heard the sound of ceramic on the asphalt, and found Mami, his cat, looking at me. She regarded me quietly with her yellow eyes, her tail flicking back and forth as she watched me kneel over her dead master's corpse. We held gazes for a while, until she stood and lumbered towards me, purring as she rubbed against my legs, the part of me that wasn't covered in blood. I was glad none had gotten on my pants.

My hands, however, were filthy, stained with the life of the man I murdered. The thought brought unease to my stomach as I stared down at the offending appendages. Yet they did not tremble. I must have been okay after all. The cat continued to offer me comfort, her purrs vibrating through my skin.

I stood and walked to the wall where a conveniently placed faucet stuck out, facing the ground. I turned it and began to cleanse my hands, unable to feel anything other than the need, the desperate desire to get home. Afterwards, I retrieved my clothes and donned my thin shirt. I wiped the handle of the knife delicately with my tank top before folding his fingers around the fabric, leaving him with a little thank you. For what you may ask? For helping me to move past my grieving.

I couldn't even watch my mother die. I'm sure there would have been a light in her eyes, and that's something I don't want to see extinguished. It would have been like seeing my own light die, blink out of existence. Now I realized that death was inevitable, and was not entirely bad.

I made to walk out of the alley, but a sound from behind me stopped me. It was a gasp, like a man sucking in air after being underwater for ten minutes. I was truly surprised, and I felt my jaw unhinge and my eyes widen as I saw a person-shaped opaque milky blur rise from the man's crimson chest. It had no legs, but arms, a torso, and head were easy to make out.

It's a soul, I thought, instinct telling me I was right. I was surprised he had one. That was all it could have been. His soul, or spirit, hovered above his bloodied body mere feet in front of me. I was tempted to reach out and touch it. Would it be warm? Cold? Would it feel like passing through steam, or mist? Was it solid? Would it even feel like anything? Then, eyes, glistening, lust-glazed brown, opened on the head, staring at me.

I didn't think, I didn't speak. I just acted, and I will admit that it was purely out of that foreign feeling of fear. I raised my arm, swinging it down without form, as though I might be able to strike this being. As I swung, a pink glow surrounded my limb, cloaking it in a rose-colored aura that illuminated the alley, casting a stunning, brilliant light onto the surrounding objects, making even this dirty, dingy alley look like Eden. It was warmth, chill, and nothingness all at once. The light seemed to seep from my pores and reach out to brighten the air around me.

My hand passed through the soul, whose eyes turned red before the image began to splinter and fracture. It's like when you're swimming in a pond or a lake, and the water around you is warm, but you suddenly pass through a very cold spot. This ghost was simply a cold spot in the air. With an inhuman shriek and a bright, soundless explosion, the soul shattered and faded into the pink light.

In that instant, with the rosy hue gradually enveloping my body, I felt protected and safe. For a minute, perhaps, I stood there as the light took over my body, burning into my skin, though the pain was welcome, and pleasant. I watched as my fair skin turned as pink as cherry blossoms, and my hair grew darker and darker to match the color of blood. I felt a stirring within my own soul, a strength I couldn't possibly have felt on my own.

Security, in this Rose Light.

All of a sudden, a cold shiver ran up my spine and the safety I had attained vanished, evaporating instantly into the night. The strength I felt was gone, replaced with longing and exhaustion. I allowed rage to take control for five seconds, and I fumed over the loss of something that had so quickly become so familiar. Then, my features smoothed out, and I took stock of my situation.

That moment I knew for certain that I had changed. I knew, because I didn't care that it was the truth. I didn't care that I no longer felt the strange emotions concerning the body on the ground. I could find no traces of the sorrow that had plagued me that night.

I was tired. I was cold. And I was two miles away from my home, in the middle of the night. I looked down at the cat, who had gravitated towards me as I glowed. Leaning down, an idea in my head, I gently picked the cat up and cradled her in my arms. Her body heat warmed my arms slightly.

"Do you want to come home with me?" I asked her politely. I knew she couldn't talk, but I felt I needed to give her the option.

"_Meow_," she replied demurely. I shrugged. She kept me company on the trek home. I arrived to the smell of smoke, but it didn't anger me anymore. I passed my brother on the couch. He was asleep, snoring as loudly as our dad, practically shaking the whole house. He must have felt me watching him, because he woke up seconds later, yawning and looking around blearily, blinking sleep from his eyes and smacking his lips to bring moisture back to his mouth. His dark eyes found me, and they widened.

"Ru-Ru! Where were you? I was so scared you'd gotten lost!" He jumped up and enveloped my tiny frame in his large, strong arms. Normally I might embrace him back, reciprocate his sentiment. But I only stood there, allowing the warm contact. It was safety, not unlike the pink light, and I welcomed it. I felt obligated to, since I had somehow ceased to be his sister.

It was strange that out of all the members of my family, my brother, who was perhaps the complete opposite of everything I believed was acceptable, logical, and rational, was the one I could say I had affection for. I don't know if it would be called love anymore, but it's fairly close. That gave me some comfort. Perhaps the old Hotaru was still within me, somewhere.

I could feel the emotion he exuded as he stood near me and spoke words of nonsense, a habitual defect I once found most endearing. Things like, "I'll never let you get hurt!" or "My cute little sister!" and the obvious, "I love you, Ru-Ru." poured from his mouth like second nature phrases. They used to make me smile.

"Papa and Shizuru went out to look for you, but I stayed home in case you came back! I guess my gut was right after all, huh?! Uh…" He suddenly took a good look at me, specifically my arms. He let out the "manliest" shriek I've ever heard.

"OH MY GOSH! Where'd you find it! She's so cute, and fluffy, I just wanna hold her all night!" My carrot-top brother snatched Mami out of my arms and rubbed his face against hers, the cat and my brother purring loudly. I gave him a deadpan look as he embarrassed himself without a care in the world.

"Her name's Mami. I picked her up from a free-adopt kennel outside of town." The lie fell smoothly from my lips before I even registered that I was lying. My brother pouted, looking at the tubby cat.

"That's a horrible name for such a pretty kitty!" He snuggled the cat again and I sighed.

"I got it, I name it." I walked over to the worn-out sofa and sat down on the middle cushion. My brother sat beside me, still grinning and playing with the cat's paws. I'd have felt sorry for the poor animal, if it didn't seem to enjoy the attention. As quickly as he had gotten excited, he deflated and looked at me seriously.

"Hey, Ru? You know, Shizuru was just sad. She really does care."

Sadness won't stop her from getting cancer.

"She just doesn't know how to deal with losing someone, and she won't ask for help."

We both could have asked for help. I don't think we ever will.

"You're kinda like her, you know. She acts distant, and you act like you hate the world."

Wrong, I couldn't hate anything if I tried right now.

"She was really worried when you didn't come back. I think she feels bad for letting you walk out. You should give her another chance. I don't think she can handle losing a mom and a sister, and neither can you." That's my brother. Kazuma could still surprise me sometimes. He's been the only strong one since mom passed, but I'm still waiting for him to break. Everyone has a breaking point.

"Zu… shut up." I leaned into his side, closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep. He wrapped an arm around me, and the other around Mami.

I didn't think of the Rose Light again for quite some time. It was forgotten, in a way, lost to the ideas that perhaps it was just an illusion, a trick made up by my immature mind. I fell asleep with Kazuma, the only thing that had kept me sane all these years.

* * *

That was how their father and older sister found them when they arrived home.

"Damn, what a little brat. Didn't even call to let us know she was safe." Though her words were bitter, there was no masking the relief and great affection hidden behind Shizuru's honey-colored eyes. She watched her younger siblings sleep a while before heading up to bed.

_They're gonna be in a world of hurt when they wake up after sleeping like that._

* * *

"Sir!" A tall, orange ogre burst through the doors of a grand office. All this space for someone who couldn't even fill up the space in his chair! The walls and floors were the standard blue and yellow of Spirit World, while the drapes on the windows were light purple, giving off an almost church-like vibe. The ceiling was so high, it was obscured by clouds, but was held up with various white pillars that were decorated with blue ribbon.

The ogre raced to the desk, a stack of papers in his hand and a holographic projector wedged between the papers and his chest. His straw-colored hair was a mess, patches of it looking like he had tried to rip it out, and others looking smooth, as if he had run his hand over it many times.

"Koenma Sir! This is urgent!"

The chair turned to reveal a toddler in turquoise robes with a large, poufy hat upon his large head. The word Jr. was printed, perhaps tattooed onto his forehead and he held in his mouth a pacifier. His eyes squinted disinterestedly at the orange ogre before him and he leaned forward onto his elbows.

"Yes Gary, what is it this time? If it's another spiritually charged birth, I don't want to hear it!" The child glared down at the paperwork before him, souls that needed judgement. "It's just a really good century for psychics."

"NO! It's- we have a…" his voice quieted and he looked around, leaning in as if to share a mighty secret.

"A premature death!" The toddler sat up straighter in his chair, a pensive look on his face. It was not unheard of for a death to happen before the scribes of Spirit World have foretold it, but it was a rare occurrence. It could be a mistake in the filing department, or it could mean that some new and important destiny has just been unraveled by the occasionally fickle Fate. Time would tell, as they say.

"You have the files I assume? I suspect there is something unusual about this death or you wouldn't bring it to me." The ogre hurriedly placed the files on the large desk, and activated the holographic projector with a push of the 'On' button. While the device warmed up, Koenma, the toddler, began to read the files.

As he scanned the paragraphs, his eyes narrowed and he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"It sounds like we should be thanking the person responsible. Kyo Ando, age 32, serial rapist and murderer, targeting young girls. I know I should be objective, but I'll be happy to send his soul to Limbo. We don't really have a place for him yet… put him in holding until we can find one. He can wait until we have an available reaper, not a priority." He took the next file, detailing his most recent activities, right up until that night. He skimmed through, not uninterested, but unsettled. His discomfort grew as the file detailed the list of injuries he had sustained, or _would_ sustain, as this was a pre-death report.

"This doesn't make sense… He 's not going to just die in an accident, he's going to be murdered!" He ran a small finger over the paper as his eyes jumped down the page to find the name of the killer. For someone to die unexpectedly was rare, but not unheard of. However, for someone to suddenly murder another, without schedule, without any preparation, and without the knowledge of the Spirit World, THAT was unheard of.

"Kuwabara Hotaru… Why does that name sound so familiar? Kuwabara, Kuwabara…" He snapped his fingers, realization on his face. "Say, don't we have an informant by that name? He lives in the area, if I recall. I'm pretty sure his children were born with the gift as well." Koenma dropped down onto his seat.

"Get me the ogre responsible for that family's files. Quickly!" Gary bowed and rushed off to the records room.

As soon as he left, Koenma turned to the holographic projector and pushed play. The scene played out before him in real time, focusing on a young girl not even in her teens yet, walking down the streets, seemingly lost in thought or just uncaring of the world around her. Her hair fell in a long, red-orange braid and her bangs slipped over her face before being swept behind her ear by a cold, tiny hand. She was just so… small. Her white jeans struggled to cling to her slender frame and the thin shirt she wore was barely enough to shield her fair skin from the coolness of the night. What was she doing out here all alone, he wondered. The video zoomed in on her face as she looked to the side at a man holding a cat. Koenma caught sight of stunning baby-blue eyes that were filled with regret, misery, loneliness, and above all else, deep sorrow that threatened to open the floodgates to a river of bitter, salty tears.

Indeed, her eyes were her most striking features, empty and so emotionally charged at the same time, it could give the blue of her iris different shades, from a soft baby blue to an icy sheen. Both colors reflected such opposing emotions, hardness and vulnerability. They were rather large eyes, larger than average, but not enough so to take away from the gentle, delicate features that otherwise beautified her. She blinked slowly, soft icy orbs disappearing for just a moment behind pale eyelids before reappearing, now even more stony than before.

Though he was watching the events unfold, there was no way to stop this now. Fate had decided.

Most decisions are made centuries in advance, but on occasion, if Fate catches sight of a particularly interesting person, there may be a sudden switch in the outcome of events. It's not always as grand as a surprise murder, but it did tend to create more disorder for Spirit World.

Usually, there was a slight change, the smallest of deviance from what was predestined, and that was the indicator that things had changed. Perhaps the event was Kyo Ando being at the alley, or it was Hotaru deciding to leave her house at that ungodly hour. Whatever it was, the file showed that the alarm had been tripped nearly two hours ago. How in the world was this only getting to him now!?

No time to wonder about that, the girl had begun to move.

He watched the sickening man lure a girl, presumably Hotaru into an alley, and proceed to attack her. She was in shock, or so it seemed by her lack of reaction at first. She looked terrified as she trembled and whimpered underneath him, pleading for small mercies… until she didn't. He watched as the façade faded away to reveal a terrifying truth. In her eyes was a whirlwind of emotions, accompanied quite in contrast by a layer of apathy, like the anger, disgust, determination, malice, and most frighteningly of all curiosity, couldn't quite reach the point of truth to see the surface beyond those cool blue crystals. Did she even feel those? Did she feel anything? The implications terrified him.

This girl, this Hotaru was not the same person who inhabited her body when she left her home. This girl was a cold fire, unfeeling, yet burning with the power of suppressed emotion. A firefly, the only source of light on this dark night, alluring and deadly. She could set the world aflame.

This girl could watch a man die by her own hand without so much as a twitch of her eye to hint at her feelings, but would not relent when she set her mind to something. She knew, from the moment she walked into that alley that he was going to die. Yet when it was all said and done, she looked at her hands with horror, her face paling as if she would be sick. She was not lost, yet.

"K-Koenma Sir?" A deep voice asked meekly from the doorway to the grand office. The young prince looked to the entrance and was greeted with the single-horned head of a blue ogre. His ears ran up far past the crown of his head, around which there was a horseshoe of long, blonde hair that fell thickly past his shoulders. Koenma motioned for him to come inside.

As the new ogre walked in, rubbing his arm, it was revealed that he held a thick stack of papers and wore what appeared to be a tiger skin loincloth.

"Ah, you requested me? I'm Jorge, I manage the Kuwabara family files." He set the large ream on the desk and began sorting through the papers. A birth certificate, enrollment papers for school, doctors bills, letters of recommendation for the advanced placement program, and notes taken by Jorge were scattered amongst the life events. She grew up normally, with consideration for her abnormal family. There were no variances. Aside from a history of some emotional issues and an inability to convey her thoughts and feelings, there was nothing that could have hinted at this sudden change in character.

"I manage a lot of families, but I have to say this one is my favorite," the ogre admitted. "It's like a story of heroes coming from unlikely situations. They're just people you can't help but root for, even the little girl!"

Her mother died recently, and while Koenma pitied the girl, he could not forget the cold fire in her eyes as she plunged the knife into the man's chest.

"Honestly sir, I'm shocked! There's nothing here that preludes to this episode. She takes classes with a psychic named Natsu Koori, a local martial arts master with a contract with the SDF. She's an advanced student, and a promising young lady. I don't see what could have gone wrong," Jorge explained as he pulled up her enrollment papers for the dojo. Her picture flashed again before their eyes, this time smiling, her expression frozen in her profile. She must have been around five when this was taken, because she was missing a tooth, and her hair was much lighter and wavy, free of restraint.

Koenma shook his head. There was nothing to do at this point. This was troublesome indeed, but they could not interfere. Still…

"I want weekly updates on her progress, and if anything strange happens to her, I want to be notified immediately. I want someone to go and collect the soul. This man's punishment is far overdue. I am assigning you as her guardian, of sorts, and it will be your responsibility to ensure that every action is recorded. Don't fail me."

The two looked at each other for a moment, before understanding reached them both. There was something off about this girl. One mistake could mean a lot of trouble, and one wrong decision had the potential to ruin the world. It was on both of their shoulders to ensure that Hotaru was safe, so that the people around her would be safe. Koenma sighed and looked down.

"Give Ayame the address and make sure she remains-" he stopped, his eyes widening and his breath catching in his throat. As he was speaking, he returned his gaze to the holographic projection, which he had neglected to turn off. The sight before him nearly stopped his heart.

Hotaru was staring at the soul hovering above the corpse. Staring! She could see it, and the look in her baby-blues, now looking vulnerable, gave birth to a whole new level of unease in his gut.

As he watched, the soul opened its eyes, and she snapped. She raised her right arm, which was suddenly bleeding raw power, pinkish in hue. The pink aura wrapped around her arm protectively, sharpening on the outside to form a lethal blade of rosy light extending from her hand. The light caught her eyes, turning them almost black as she brought her arm down in one swift, decisive motion.

The soul shattered and splintered from the impact and with an unearthly scream, the soul disappeared in a blinding light. Koenma was frozen, unable to move, yet able to form one thought. It wasn't possible. The bloodline had been destroyed!

"She's a Soul-Killer, a Yaksha!" The title was one he'd never expected to utter, but it was an undeniable truth.

The energy surrounding the girl's arm was making its way slowly over the rest of her body. The light gave off a malicious air, but the girl remained calm, even smiled blissfully. Her skin began to turn pink. There was little time to act- even five minutes could be too long!

"OGRE! Get me a portal there, NOW! I have to stop this, before it's too late!" Reaching into the drawer on the bottom left, the prince pulled out a slip of paper, with runes on it he thought he'd never have to use. He had hoped the day to use them would never come, but it seems Fate had other plans.

Together, they ran from the office and into the reapers equipment room, the prince's little legs working double time to keep up with the ogre's longer strides. There, they found the small portal devices used by the ferry girl's, activated one, set the coordinates, and without a word to the concerned ogre, the prince leaped into the unfinished portal, mere seconds behind the event horizon.

He came out just behind the girl. The energy had almost completely enveloped her, and her skin was beginning to crack, the wounds caused by the power breaking through her skin resembling bolts of lightning that closed and opened over and over again. She wouldn't last much longer. Her spirit had been locked away too long and was getting greedy, with no regard for its host. She would die if he did not act fast.

With skill from years of training with wards and suppression slips, he pressed his hand through the material of her shirt, through her skin, a paper ward stuck to his palm. He dug his nails into her spine to maintain grip when the energy, realizing what he was doing, attempted to fight him off with a strong electrical current, shaking his foundation and putting cracks in his bones. The pacifier was in his other hand in an instant, exploding with the force of his contained energy as it tried to form a sheath around his body.

"Seal!" He cried, releasing the girl. The pink aura glowed defiantly, a venomous hissing coming from the center before abruptly vanishing, leaving a very confused, and very angry girl. Koenma, however, did not remain to see the result of his actions, falling back through the portal and landing in a heap on the floor of the equipment room.

His body was drained from the exertion of fighting off the pink energy, his own power returning to its container which lay abandoned across the floor. Panting, the small god raised his head, body shaking with effort. He looked through the fading portal, seeing the girl pick up the cat before the image vanished, the portal blinking out of existence.

His head fell back to the floor with a hard thump, but Koenma didn't have the energy to care. His breathing labored, he stared up at the ceiling as feeling flooded back to his body.

"Prince Koenma, sir!" The ogre was by his side the moment he fell, his face swimming into the young spirits vision. The blue-skinned worker took hold of the princes arms, helping him sit up. Taking a deep breath, Koenma wasted no time.

"Ogre, have Gary brought to me immediately for a briefing. Ayame as well, and only those two. Report back to my office as soon as you've found them." His voice uncharacteristically solemn, leaving no room for argument. Jorge was taken aback, leaning away slightly.

"Y-yes sir, right away!"

…

The office was silent. Koenma sat behind his desk as he allowed the words to sink into the ears of his listeners. Only Ayame and Jorge remained, Gary having been sworn to silence and transferred to another office in the time it took to sign a sheet of paper.

The less people to have to be involved the better. As it was, he was taking a risk with Jorge. At least now, since Jorge had been assigned Gary's old position as Koenma's office assistant, he could keep a close eye on him. As the manager of the Kuwabara family files, it would be foolish not to keep him close by.

Ayame was a different story. Though she had previously worked for King Enma, the prince had absolute confidence in her loyalty to him. As it was, Koenma had never seen her this interested in a topic before now.

"A Yaksha, after all this time?" Her voice was full of wonder, delicate hands toying with her notepad as she thought. Black hair shrouded her dark eyes in shadow, her brow pinched in worry.

"It would appear so," Koenma responded. Jorge wisely remained quiet, simply waiting for the ultimate decision. When he had imagined meeting Prince Koenma, it had been nothing like this! He'd pictured a handshake, some meaningless small talk, maybe an inquiry into the particulars of his work, just basic stuff. He hadn't expected to be dragged into a rabbit hole of epic proportions, and receive a promotion all on the same day!

"I want both of you to be aware that this situation has been handled, and there will be no need to report to the higher offices." No need to report to his father. Ayame looked mortified, jerking back as though she'd been struck.

"My Lord?" Koenma steepled his hands, looking up at Ayame with a serious expression.

"Everything that has been said here today is not to leave this office. Under no circumstances should anyone be made aware of this. Is that understood?"

She only hesitated a moment.

"Yes sir."

Jorge didn't require any prompting.

"You have our word, Lord Koenma." Koenma nodded, though his face did not relax one bit.

"Ayame, I need you to schedule me a meeting with Mab, immediately." The woman only bowed, black kimono rustling.

"Of course, sir."

* * *

**And welcome to the jungle.**

**Hello and salutations to all who have entered my domain! I'm your friendly neighborhood Biku-Sensei, but Biku is just fine. If you're reading this, congratulations! You have made it through the first chapter of my personal paradise, or my personal hell if you want to look at it that way. To say this story has given me no end of trouble would be an understatement, and I wouldn't blame any of you for turning back now before it's too late.**

**Since I very much despise seeing multi-chapter stories with just the pilot episode out, I've gone ahead and published the first three chapters in one day, just so that you the lovely readers can decide if it's your flavor. I sincerely hope you stay, and if you do, I enjoy being showered with criticisms. Really, it's like a writing kink.**

**This is a story that has been in the works for several years, and I am only just now getting around to actually posting. Read that how you will. However, I will say this is the only story I have ever stuck with for this long, and the only one to have more than ten chapters completely written out. This was a challenge for me, and I hope I overcame it. **

**So now, you have a choice. Move on to the next level, or run away before the OFC drives you crazy with her plot-meddling and canon divergence. I hope to see you all next chapter.**

**Meow for now!**


	2. Chapter 2

**No more disclaimers, I already put one at the beginning. On with the "sho."**

* * *

_Desperation shows its ugly face in many ways_  
_ No one can escape the times we live in_  
_ The answers are so simple and we all know where to look_  
_ But it's easier to just avoid the question_  
_ And if I seem too inconclusive_  
_ It's just because it's so elusive_

_\- Kansas- On the Other Side_

**Chapter 2: There and Back Again**

Urameshi Yusuke was dead.

I'd never met him, so I didn't have much of an opinion on him, aside from what I could glean from my brother's rantings and ravings on the brawler. He wasn't terribly studious or reputable, and quite often when I would hear talk of him, it wasn't anything complimentary. To some, he was a thug. To others, he was a criminal mastermind, an absolute monster of a boy.

To Kazuma, he was everything.

My brother set up a dummy in the backyard, tied to the tree we use to sit and play under as small children, and I would hear him sparring with the human-shaped hay bale. He would call it all sorts of names, the most prominent being Urameshi's.

I watched him sometimes from the porch, and it always amazed me how much effort he put into training. When he left Koori-Sensei's dojo, I thought perhaps he'd given up on fighting. He'd certainly given up on everything else. His studies were abandoned as he carved out a name for himself, along with a sizeable territory that he and his friends patrolled like watchdogs. However, even that seemed like it was just something he did to feel like he wasn't being sedentary. He never put his heart into it. It was something I disliked seeing, and for a time, I considered ending his truly miserable life, if only to give him some respite, to end his suffering.

Until one day, my brother came across a boy, the only person in all of Sarayashiki and all the surrounding towns he couldn't beat. And suddenly, he had drive.

When Urameshi came along, Kazuma regained the light in his eyes. He seemed to catch a second wind, and this took him so much further than before. All of his focus, whatever was left and even more he had scraped up from nowhere, was set on becoming stronger than Urameshi. From there, everything else seemed to rise back to normalcy as well. His life had meaning to him again. He could live without wondering if our sensei's words were true.

Everything that had happened to make him leave the dojo suddenly seemed inconsequential, as long as he had Urameshi around to motivate him. The feeling of worthlessness had left him with a new vigor, a passion for fighting, and fighting not just with his fists, but with his morals. I believe I can cite Urameshi as the reason for Kazumas honor code.

And then… the boy got hit by a car.

He was killed during what many considered to be the single redeemable moment in his life. His self-sacrifice and disregard for his person came as a shock to anyone who knew his name, myself included. Unlike some others, I did not assume the worst. I may not have been aware of his personal capacity, but I do know that anyone can surprise you, given the chance.

So, Urameshi was dead. I learned this the night Kazuma returned from the boys wake, his friends practically holding him up as they went along. My brother was leaning heavily on them, something I had never seen him do no matter how injured from his brawling. The moment I caught sight of the four of them, I was down the stairs and out of the house before they reached the front door.

"What happened?" I asked, and they gave me small bows of respect. I appreciated these boys to an extent. They understood when I was in a no-nonsense mood. Kazuma sniffed and moaned, a sound that spoke of unimaginable pain.

"It's Urameshi," Sawamura said by way of explanation. "He's dead."

I paused in my analysis of Kazuma to give the other boy a look of incredulity. I blinked, glancing away for a moment to collect my thoughts before turning a blank look back to him, putting only as much authority in my voice as I needed. I'll be frank, I didn't need very much with these boys.

"Go home. I'll take him from here." I got three nods in return as they shifted my brothers trembling, pitiful weight to my shoulders.

"Sure thing, Little Sis."

I did not respond as I helped my brother inside, allowing him to put as much of his weight on me as he needed. He shuddered as a pained sob escaped him, and I shifted his arm on my shoulder, taking him to the living room where he collapsed on the sofa. I sat beside him, back straight and stiff.

The best thing to do was to let him cry himself out. His tears would dry eventually, and until then, I would be here for him. In the meantime, my mind was occupied by thoughts that raced by at the speed of light.

Urameshi was dead. The only thing that motivated my brother and gave him purpose was gone. What was I to do now? How was I going to fix this? The answer simply was that there was no possible way for me to fix this. It wasn't within the scope of my abilities.

In a sense, I too was mourning Urameshi, but for a very different reason. I did not feel grief for his person, but rather his idea. For so long, he had been an integral part of our family. In a way, he was what brought my brother back to us in his darkest hour. If Koori-Sensei hadn't said what he had…

"... Ru-Ru?" I jerked my head to stare, reaching out to grab my brothers hand, extended towards me.

"Yes Kazuma," I said, not a question, but an answer. Yes, I was there. I would always be there.

He sniffed, rubbing at his puffy red eyes as he sat up, the expression he wore one of absolute misery. I would fix it, if I could. But I never knew how to make people feel better. I only knew how to make them stop feeling, and that wasn't an option yet.

"What do I do now?" His question caught me off guard. I tilted my head, fixing him with a concerned look.

"I do not know," I answered honestly. "I can tell you what I would like you to do, but I doubt that will change what you will eventually do." He blinked, staring at me with wide eyes.

"W-what do you mean by that?" I sighed, shifting so that I could look him head on.

"Zu, for the longest time, you relied on Urameshi to motivate you to live. Without him, you have nothing that you care for. Will you find something new, or will you fall back into that void of empty thoughts and apathy?"

He sputtered, sitting up straighter and gripping my hand with a painful force.

"No! That's not true," he denied, and I was surprised by his vehemence. "Maybe it was like that before, but not anymore. I've got friends, and I've got you and Dad, and Shizuru too." I took my hand from his grip, flexing the fingers to return circulation.

"Will that be enough?" I wondered. "You had us before, and it wasn't enough for you. What is so different now?" Would he revert back to the lifeless automaton we had seen before? This time, would I end up killing him to save him? It was an unpleasant thought, and I felt a tug in my chest, like my heart was trying to pull my mind from the idea. But really, what other option was there?

"I know better this time," he said, and I looked at him again. His eyes were shimmering and his brow pinched, but the light was still there. "I know better," he repeated.

I sighed, patting his knee.

"I hope so, for both our sakes."

* * *

I… I couldn't believe it. Yet at the same time, I could. There were few things that could surprise me, and this was one of them.

It had been nearly two weeks since the death of Urameshi, and the wounds were still fresh. For the most part, however, Kazuma had been back to his old self, barring the lack of beatings. With Urameshi gone, it fell to Kazuma to hold his territory, and he was more than up to the task. Say what you will about my brother, but at the very least his beatings from Urameshi had toughened him up, if not knocked a few brain cells loose.

Still, I listened at night when I would hear him moving, sleepless hours pacing back and forth or simply lying there in bed. I could feel his sorrow, and it kept me awake in the darkness. He hardly slept anymore, putting up his facade of confidence whenever his boys were near. Yet it would always fall in the privacy of his own room. I could feel it every time.

I'd been wandering around with my brother and his friends more than usual lately, partly to keep an eye on his hopelessly exhausted self, and partly because I had little else to do. I hardly had any friends of my own to speak of, so there was little chance I would be caught spending time with anyone else. And, being the tagalong little sister that I was impersonating, I got to see my fair share of these brawls, most of which ended favorably for us, the most recent of which being the fight with the boys from Kazanaga, after we arrived just in time to stop that girl Yukimura from becoming the victim of some particularly heinous crimes.

That was the first time I saw them, the people floating in the sky. One was a woman, with blue hair wearing a pink kimono. The other… Well, if I were any normal person, I would assume that my seeing Urameshi Yusuke just floating in the sky above the fight was a stress-induced hallucination. However, I am not, and so I took it at face value that I had seen the ghost of the dead teen.

I didn't think too much of it, mainly because I forced myself not to. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a ghost, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. The spiritual awareness gene runs in our family, so it isn't that unusual a sight. Granted, the ghosts I've seen have never been so well-colored, and they are rarely in a shape that resembles their human selves, but I pushed the thoughts out.

Until, of course, Akashi-San imposed the non-violence rule on my brother and his friends. At that point, it was up to me to ensure my brother's safety for a week, but I couldn't be there all the time. I was lucky enough to be there the _first_ time, as I happened to see Akashi sneaking around, his eyes fixed on a familiar sky-blue jumpsuit.

No fighting for exactly one week. That was the rule. Complete abstinence, or Okubo would lose his job. Okubo was Kazuma's friend, and by extension under the most basic of my protections. If he were to be put into a situation to drastically change his life, my brother would scramble to compensate, not factoring in his own health when his boys were in trouble. It was one of the many flaws I could do nothing to correct, so I wove my own ideals to fit the three brawlers. Of course, they didn't get nearly the same consideration as Kazuma, and his health, dubious as it may be, always came first.

My brother was too tired to sense the three bodies waiting for him just ahead. The moment Kazuma passed under the bridge, he was surrounded by the same boys from Kazanaga, and it wasn't too difficult to put two and two together as I looked between the small gang and the madly cackling teacher. Had Akashi acted alone? Were the thugs aware he was a teacher, or had he called anonymously? It hardly mattered, but I had to wonder exactly how they had managed to pull off working together for the ambush. In that moment, I saw red, but it was gone the next second.

Kazuma ran, vaulting over the fence almost close enough to see me if he paid attention. His feet pounded on the grass, but stopped the moment the boys began to taunt him, turning him right around out of his foolish pride and carrying him back toward their smug faces. I'd had enough, stepping out of the bushes demurely just as he reached them.

"Kazuma," I called, and everyone turned to look at me. I could see the moment they recognized me, as the one wearing a medical mask took a step back eyes bugging as he no doubt relived my severe punishments for his blatant destruction of my property-the jaw fracture he had given to Kirishima. I stared with a blank expression, eyes as dull as ever.

"Walk me home," I ordered. Both my brother and the masked boy looked slightly relieved, and I could practically feel the ire of the teacher who stayed put in his hiding place. I walked closer to my brother, perfectly at ease with being outnumbered.

"Hey Sis, umm, I'm kinda busy here," Kazuma said, and I raised a delicate brow.

"Yeah, busy getting his ass handed to him, so scram," one of the boys said, taking a threatening step forward. "It's just the two of you anyways. You can't take us without your friends."

Slowly, in a way I know for certain is very disturbing to his type, I turned my head, empty eyes finding his and looking on emotionlessly. I lifted my chin just a touch and took my own step forward. The boy, so much taller than me, seemed to lose his nerve and took a step away.

No words were needed. The day before had been a painful lesson, for all of them. They parted, and I took my brother's arm, steering him forward and out of harms way. I breathed out a sigh that I hadn't realized I was holding as we went beyond their line of sight, a glance back telling me we were not being followed.

… At least, not by the living. For there in the sky once more, staring down at us, was Urameshi, and the woman he had been with before. I looked at them for a moment longer, but they didn't seem to notice me.

I ignored them again, determined not to let the questions cloud my mind. We went home that night without incident, and upon arrival at school the next day, Akashi placed the final nail in his semi-proverbial coffin, and added another condition to the deal he had made with my brother. That condition being, all four boys must score at least fifty points on the next science exam. I watched the teacher go with narrow eyes, not saying a thing as I began to take stock of all that would be on the mixed-sciences test. My anger at Akashi and my growing appreciation for my brother's friends occupied my thoughts. Life seemed to return to normal, Kazuma even managing to get a few hours of rest the night before the test.

And then… Kazuma told me that he dreamed Urameshi had come to help him study.

Kazuma is highly attuned to the spiritual plane, more so than our sister, but significantly less so than myself or our father. His gifts, like my own, attracted spirits to him, but he could rarely see all of the horde of ghosts that often surrounded him. Occasionally, a particularly powerful, and more often than not malicious, spirit may break through the barrier of sight and sound, and they will take shape for him.

Knowing all of this, I believed him. Especially when I saw Urameshi and the woman yet again, floating above us as we left school at the end of the week, the limit on brawling dropped and Okubo's job in tact. For just a moment, I think Kazuma saw him, and gave him a smile. I thought, maybe, Kazuma might be alright after all.

And so, I elected to put Urameshi out of my mind.

* * *

The last straw for me came when Urameshi's corpse turned up on my couch.

When I say the last straw, I don't mean it in the sense that it was what made me lose my composure and go absolutely ballistic on Kazuma, and I don't mean that it suddenly changed my ways. I mean to say I couldn't go on ignoring the presence of Urameshi's ghost any longer, not when the issue was so literally close to home.

I felt a strange tingle when the door opened downstairs. Getting up from my desk, I followed the sounds of voices until I stood just outside the living room. Father had gone shopping, but considering the heat today, I expected him to be back shortly. Shizuru was at work. That left the male and female voices to be my brother, and a girl.

Should I be proud?

"Look, I don't wanna get into anything freaky, and I don't want the cops to come here, so maybe if you just explain what you're doing with Urameshi's corpse, we can figure out a way to get you healthy."

I started in surprise, replaying the words in my head for a moment. Whatever I had been expecting to hear, that certainly wasn't it. I stood frozen as the girl spoke, her voice worried and pleading.

"You don't understand," she began. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but Yusuke came to me in a dream and told me he was coming back, so I had to keep his body safe for him until then."

That sounded oddly familiar. The girl, whoever she was, sounded so sure. She wasn't lying, that much was certain.

"Urameshi… you said he came in a dream? And like, he talked to you?" Kazuma asked, his voice hopeful.

"Yes, and when I went to check on him, he had a heartbeat, and he was warm, feel!" There was the sound of movement, and the rustling of cloth, and I peeked around the corner to see my brother staring into the formerly deceased face of one Urameshi Yusuke. Even from here, I could see the color in his cheeks, and soft rise and fall of his chest under the mounds of charred blankets that kept him concealed. And standing beside Kazuma was Yukimura Keiko, her clothing equally burned and one pigtail missing entirely, the ends of her hair singed beyond repair.

"It's true," Kazuma exclaimed, turning to the girl who was tense with anticipation. "Urameshi was in my dreams one night too! I didn't think much of it, but he was helping me study! And when I was gonna hit Akashi, something stopped me. I'm sure it was him now!"

Yukimura smiled, eyes tearing up out of relief.

"You believe me?" she asked, and Kazuma laughed, taking his hand away from Urameshi's face.

"You bet!" The girl surged forward and hugged him around his middle, her smile nearly splitting her face. Kazuma blushed, his laughter turning nervous as he hugged her back.

"Hey! What did I say about getting fresh with her!?" I jumped, thoroughly spooked by the loud yell that sounded almost right by my ear. A glance to the right and I saw Urameshi and the usual woman, but this time, there was a little girl with them, in a cutesy purple gown.

Urameshi was haunting my brother? But… why? I decided to find out, walking into the room fully and announcing my presence by clearing my throat. All eyes, dead and alive, turned to me. I could see the nervous apprehension in the living as they glanced around to take stock of the situation.

"Uhh, okay, so," Kazuma began eloquently. "I know this is gonna sound kinda bad, but it's not what it looks like. See, what happened is-"

I raised a hand, and he stopped, staring at the appendage like it might bite him, or slap him.

"Zu, I don't care." He and Yukimura looked at each other in shock, then back to me. "Just make sure that _thing_ is out of sight by the time Father returns. Put it in your room or something." Kazuma hesitated, but then a wide grin split his face and he advanced upon me with a tight embrace.

"You're the best, Ru-Ru!" he told me, and I rolled my eyes, patting his waist as the only part of him I could reach.

"Where the hell does that brat get off calling me a thing? I'm a person you dumbass!" I looked up to the right with a blank expression and met eyes with the ghost of Urameshi, whose angry face molded into one of surprised the longer I stared.

"I know," I said in response to my brother and to Urameshi, not looking away from the latter. He leaned backwards, floating away a bit and my eyes followed him.

"Botan," he whispered loudly. "I thought you said normal people couldn't see us!" The blue haired woman, Botan, gave me a rather concerned look.

"They can't, but maybe she-"

"I'm not normal," I said to him, interrupting her, and all three of the spirits gasped. Kazuma, thinking I was still talking to him, pulled out of the embrace with teary eyes and a proud smile.

"Yeah, and it's a good thing you're not normal, cause normal would have gotten the police!" I shrugged him off and turned, heading for the doorway.

"Use the playroom upstairs, no one goes there anymore but you anyhow. There's fresh linens in the closet, I washed them this morning." I glanced back at the ghosts, jerking my head to tell them to follow me as I disappeared up the stairs, leaving my brother and Yukimura to deal with the not-corpse.

"Hey, can you really see me?" Urameshi asked, coming to float just ahead of me.

"Of course I can," I said to him, and his face, once hostile, broke out into a wide smile.

"Great! How do I look?" He asked, following me into my room. I gave him a once-over, my expression never changing. The two girls came in as well, talking in hushed voices with each other.

"Your colors are a little blanched- pale, I mean," I added at his confused look. "But other than that, you look quite normal. Not at all like someone who was hit by a car."

He breathed out a sigh of relief, sitting cross-legged in the air with his hands woven behind his head. I took this relaxed posture to mean he wasn't concerned by my ability to communicate with him, which was a good sign. Most spirits will usually try to persuade me to help them in some way, or perhaps turn violent, which is why the best policy is to treat the dead with the utmost respect. With that in mind, I gave a calming smile, squinting my eyes just a tiny bit for authenticity.

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind," I said politely, and he looked down with a curious expression. But before I could get to my question, the blue haired woman pulled him back, staring at me like I'd grown a second head.

"Hang on just a minute," she said with what was supposed to be authority. "Now I may be new to this, but I'm quite sure that no ordinary human is able to see ghosts and Spirits like us, let alone hear them! What's your name?"

I met her suspicious glare with a banal look, giving her ornamental pink kimono a look up and down- she was riding an oar, I noticed for the first time- before looking into her eyes, bright magenta that widened and filled with fear when they finally met my gaze. She reacted much more quickly than others… It could be that spirits are more in tune to the properties of the soul.

"Kuwabara Hotaru. That's my brother downstairs," I told her, and she looked almost mystified. "Spiritual awareness runs in our family, but it's considerably stronger in myself and my father. Surely there are others who can see spirits," I prompted.

The woman looked at the little girl with a nod, and the girl disappeared in a flash of blue light. I raised a brow, but did not question it. Neither of these girls appeared to be in charge, so it stands to reason that she went to inform a superior of whatever the blue-haired woman was new to of these developments.

"I have a question for Urameshi, if you don't mind," I said, with none of the politeness I had used when speaking to said ghost. The boy, looking irritated, pushed the woman aside.

"Buzz off Botan, it's not like this little kid is gonna cause any serious trouble," he said, and I raised a brow.

"For the record, I'm thirteen," I said, and I ignored his look of surprised embarrassment. "My question is a very simple one. Why are you haunting my brother?"

"Well that's easy," he said, confusion on his face. "I'm not." I gave him a disbelieving look.

"You have been hovering over him on at least three separate occasions that I'm aware of, today not included, and he tells me you've shown up in his dreams. I'd call that a haunting if I've ever seen one, and I've seen many."

He looked away then, a frown on his face. He mumbled something incoherent before fixing me with a very unhappy look. His hand came up and he poked my shoulder, the sensation sending a wave of cold through me from the point of contact.

"I'm not haunting that idiot, I was just trying to help him out, alright? It's not like I like the guy or anything, I just hated that stupid teacher!" Akashi. I kept my face blank as I appraised the ghost, who somehow didn't seem to match the boy I'd seen at school, when he bothered to show. The boy I'd seen at school was unintelligent, immoral, thuggish. I didn't see that now. Nor did I see the image of a great enemy without fear or worry that Kazuma seemed to think he was. I saw a boy, not a thug or a violent brawler. I saw compassion under the rude exterior. He was so easy to read, like a book left open to the center page, the cover nailed down to the ground. I tilted my head, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"You aren't what I expected," I told him truthfully, and he scoffed.

"Yeah, join the club," he muttered. He folded his arms, looking away with a scowl. "You were expecting some moron, right? Some big muscle-headed idiot who just loves to hurt people. Well, sorry to disappoint."

"On the contrary," I said quickly, and he looked back, still frowning. "The accounts of you I've heard at school contrast with what Kazuma says about you. I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but I wouldn't say I'm disappointed. More like pleasantly surprised."

His frown faded a bit.

"Oh…" He didn't have much to say after that. I filled the silence with my own thoughts, finding myself suddenly willing to satisfy my curiosity that I had held at bay for so long. This was the first time a spirit hasn't been wholly uncooperative or unable to communicate clearly. I'd be a fool to pass this chance up.

"What's it like, being a spirit?" I asked, and he raised a brow in a questioning way.

"Why do you want to know?" I shrugged.

"I would like to know what to expect, to be honest." He chuckled darkly, leaning back in the air with a grin, though it lacked much humor.

"Well then why don't you go get hit by a car too, answer all your questions?" I raised a brow, feeling an unfamiliar sensation around my lips, one that I felt only when I was around Kazuma. My lips tugged up at the corners ever so slightly, and my cheeks warmed just a touch. I was… smiling? Without meaning to? How odd. But there it was, plain as day. I smiled, and it was real.

"I would, but I'm afraid that's not on the schedule for today. I'll just have to settle for this," I told him with an apologetic shrug. He snorted, rolling over so that his face rested in his hands.

"Settle for me, you mean," he accused, and I tilted my head in mock thought.

"Doesn't everyone?" He stared at me unblinking for a moment, then his humorless smirk melted into a smile, eyes squinting shut as he laughed. All the while, the unwilling smile never faded.

* * *

"So, you threw away the only chance you had to come back, to save Yukimura, who went into the fire to get your body, to make sure you could come back? That sounds awfully ironic."

Urameshi had, to my surprise and pleasure, recounted his tale to me. The blue-haired woman, Botan, had been silent for the first half, but she seemed to warm up to me, oddly enough, and started pitching in on the story. His death had been unexpected by the world beyond, Spirit World, which sounded to me like a massive organization rather than the celestial plane most religions described.

They hadn't prepared a place for him, whatever that implied, and so they had decided to give him a second chance. It sounded rather strange to me. A place that housed spirits both saintly and malicious didn't have holding cells, or even a waiting room for those who died prematurely? As Botan said, however, this only happens once in a hundred years, which, when you think about it, isn't quite so rare.

So, Urameshi was given an ordeal, to hatch a golden egg into something good, and it would give him his life back. He told me of how he had helped a classmate become a boxing champion, and helped a little boy reconcile with his dog's death. While he spun it in such a way as to seem like he had no other choice, Botan was quick to remind him of his feelings at the time, especially when they got to the part of the story that involved my brother. She seemed to admire him, as I did, and I thought she couldn't be too much of a threat in that case.

Urameshi, like Kazuma, was truly a good person, and someday, people would look up to both of them as prime examples of how a man should be. I was jealous, but only for a moment. People would look at me the same way they always did. Fear, distrust, anger.

"Well, yeah, I guess it sounds kinda dumb when you put it like that," Urameshi conceded. "But I mean, if I hadn't, then both of us would be dead. At least this way, only the useless one died, and Keiko can go on to live her life. It'll be way better than mine anyways," he added. I frowned.

"But Yukimura still believes you are returning," I reminded him, and his look grew dark. "She doesn't know about your sacrifice." He jolted upright, his eyes alight with pain, anguish written all over his face.

"You think I don't know that!?" he yelled at me, and I could feel the temperature of the room drop by several degrees. I was dumbstruck, my mouth hanging open in my shock. "You think I like having her down there all happy for nothing? Her, and Kuwabara… and Mom…" His voice fell to a pitiful whisper.

"Isn't anyone going to tell them they're just waiting around on a dead body?" Botan looked ready to cry, and in the cold, my hands flew to my arms to rub them, the friction doing little, and the thin white blouse doing even less. Botan, however, seemed unaffected by the cold, her eyes watering sorrowfully.

"Oh, Yusuke…" she faltered, her voice cracking as Urameshi, his fists clenched so that his knuckles turned white, wept.

…

…

I reached up, my movements hesitant, but managed to find the resolve to keep moving. I put my hand on his shoulder, ignoring the coldness that settled over me at the action. Urameshi looked up as I touched him, eyes showing a broken soul inside. I lost my words then, and I'd forgotten what I was even going to say. The emotion, raw and powerful, I had never seen before, and it left me shaken like I never thought was possible. His sorrow was not for himself, I realized, it was for the people gathered below us, around his body, waiting for him to come back to life.

My hand, cold as it was, stayed on his shoulder, and I didn't bother to question why I could touch him, I only was grateful that I could. He didn't pull away, but his gaze softened, and fell to his hands that lay in his lap.

"Hey… Little Kuwabara," he said after a while. I tilted my head in question, and he looked at me with a sad smile. "Will you do it for me? Will you tell them…" He didn't finish, but he didn't need to.

"I will," I promised. "I'm… I'm sorry, Urameshi." And I meant it. I was stunned by the truth of the statement. His rampant emotions were getting to me, the transference amplified by death. It was always an unsettling sensation.

"Yeah, me too," he said.

A clap of thunder outside startled all three of us, and we looked outside, toward the sliding glass door of my balcony. We rushed over to it, and I was glad that Urameshi and Botan were floating, because there was no way all of us would have fit on the small space. We looked up to where an eddy was forming in the clouds, a whooshing sound accompanying a swirling black mass framed by blue energy. It slowly got bigger, until there was enough space for a blue shape, a geometric oddity to come flying out, zipping around like an insect until it reached us.

The thing took shape and before my eyes, it was transformed into the little girl from earlier, dark hair, purple dress, wide eyes and all.

"Sayaka," Botan began, a question in her voice. "What is going on? What did Koenma say?"

The girl gave Urameshi, then me a once-over before responding, her words carefully measured.

"Prince Koenma wants you to come to Spirit World. All of you," she said pointedly, giving me a look of apprehension. I blinked and cocked my head.

"Me? But I'm not part of this." Sayaka held out her hand to me, which I stared at with open distrust.

"Koenma seems to think you are. The appointment is mandatory." I did not appreciate her tone, and gave her a cold look. She shrunk away slightly.

"What do they want with her?" Urameshi asked, dumbfounded, and Sayaka shook her head, looking away from me.

"It's not my place to ask. I am only conveying a message." This was probably just damage control. Perhaps, since I wasn't close to Urameshi, I wasn't supposed to know about any of this, and they were going to ensure that I didn't talk. Would this involve memory alterations, or perhaps just a simple interview to determine my trustworthiness? Either way, The twisting in my gut was telling me this was a very bad idea. Something terrible was going to happen, I just know it.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Urameshi said, his expression unidentifiable. He pasted on a grin as he looked at me. "You'll never believe who's running Spirit World, seriously it's ridiculous!"

… This was a bad idea, but then again, it could be educational.

"Alright," I said, looking up at the girl, the look of relief passing over her face briefly not escaping my notice. "How do I get there?"

"Your spiritual awareness is strong enough that you can touch the incorporeal, so you'll ride on the oar." Sayaka pointed at Botan, who looked surprised, but her face grew cheerful again as she lowered herself beside me on the balcony railing. I wondered for a moment how she knew that. She hadn't been here when I touched Urameshi, which I noted with some surprise I was able to do.

According to the ghost, he had passed through nearly everyone he tried to hit, the exception being my brother. It's possible that the spiritually aware could indeed interact more than normal with apparitions, beyond simply communicating. That, or perhaps emotional vulnerability brought spirits closer to our plane, which made them able to touch, hence how ghosts leave scratches on people when they are feeling particularly malevolent. Interesting theories, to be sure.

"Well alright then! Hop aboard!" Botan extended her hand, which I regarded with some hesitance. The twitching in my gut was getting worse, and my mind was screaming at me not to go. However, the decision was made for me as she grabbed my hand and pulled me up with her in a surprising show of strength that she certainly didn't look capable of. I let out a short cry as I landed roughly on the oar, grabbing onto her shoulders to find my balance.

Unlike with Urameshi, contact with her did not result in a cold chill, but the normal warmth of a human body. Curious.

"And off we go! Come along Yusuke," Botan said with a mad giggle as we took off, the oar moving surprisingly fast. Urameshi just barely had time to grab onto the end before he was jerked along behind us, shouting profanities at a laughing Botan.

We sped towards the swirling mass above, and where I expected a collision, we instead passed right through. I was met with the unpleasant feeling of large hands squeezing me to death and I almost closed my eyes, if not for the view inside the anomaly. Tunnels upon tunnels crossed over our path as we took turns through a vortex of swirling blue, white-hot stars zipping past us at unimaginable speeds. Sayaka took another tunnel, branching off and leaving the three of us behind. I wondered exactly how many places this portal travel could take us, and that was all I had time to wonder as we reappeared on the other side.

I couldn't hold back a gasp as I surveyed the change in scenery around me. An open space like an eternal desert spanned out to the sides and behind, the sands an unnatural shade of yellow, and a winding, snake-like river below us. The River Styx, my mind supplied, exactly as Urameshi had described it. Incredible.

Before us loomed tall, ominous mountains, jagged peaks that seemed to have no pattern or ridgeline, but rather each a lonely peak beside the others. Botan took us that way, and soon, I could make out a castle of sorts, of an ancient design that reminded me heavily of shrines I'd visited in the living world. The closer we got to the castle, the more my stomach seemed to decide it wanted nothing to do with this, and I almost lost my lunch a few times with how badly it was acting up.

We set down just outside the gargantuan castle doors. I observed with caution as Botan pressed a button on a remarkably modern-looking doorbell, like one would find outside an office building. She announced her presence, along with myself and Urameshi, and the gates were opened immediately.

"It looks like a giant's throat," I commented, looking up at the ridged red ceiling and black walls. "Is that supposed to be some play on death consuming everything?"

"That's what I said," Urameshi exclaimed, now standing on the ground and walking beside me. "Well, not the part about death eating stuff," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"It's certainly a good analogy," Botan complimented, and I nodded my thanks to her. "Do you mind if I use that in the future?"

"Not at all," I told her.

The "throat" went on for several minutes, and the room we entered was… not what I expected. It was indeed an office, a hectic and loud imitation of a salaryman life, with beastial humanoid beings of various colors acting as the underpaid and frazzled employees. I caught up to Botan, having fallen behind slightly due to my observations.

"What are these things?" I asked in a low voice. She glanced at me with a reprimanding look.

"Now now Hotaru, that's not very polite," she exclaimed. "They're still people, silly! They're ogres, one of the species that inhabits Spirit World." I raised a brow, curiosity filling me with many questions.

"How many other species are there here? I imagined the Spirit World would be inhabited by ghosts." Urameshi made a noise, indicating he was listening in on the conversation.

"Yeah, I was kinda wondering that too. You're not an ogre Botan, or at least you don't look like one. You're not wearing a disguise, are you?" His curious question was met with a huff and a glare from our guide, who crossed her arms, shifting the oar in her grip to stick out the back, keeping Urameshi at a distance.

"I am a Spirit, thank you very much," she said. "Not a ghost or an apparition as you know them. I wasn't ever a human or a demon who died, I was born here in the Spirit World."

"Demons exist?" I asked quickly, my ears hanging onto that tiny tidbit.

"Of course," she said with a tittering laugh. "But we don't have those here, they reside in Demon World, and they're not allowed to leave. Of course, the ancestors of the ogres were demons, but they cut their ties to that world long ago."

A whole world of spirits, not ghosts, and a whole other world of demons… It was difficult to stop my mind from running rampant with theories about this. If this Demon World place was real, that would explain practically every human legend and cultural phenomenon to do with monsters, which means that at some point, Demon World and Human World could have been one place, or at least there was a bridge between worlds.

"That's kinda freaky," Urameshi commented. "There's a whole world full of monsters somewhere, and people don't even know about it!"

"Has Demon World always existed?" I asked, and she paused, her brows raised in surprise.

"Well of course it has, silly! Where do you think the demons came from?" As I gazed into her magenta eyes, I could see that she was telling the truth, at least what she knew of it. This was all so interesting, but I resolved to save the rest of my questions for later as we approached yet another set of double doors.

"You seem like you're having way too much fun," Urameshi said with a smirk, leaning over to me as Botan yet again rang a doorbell and announced us. I shrugged, face perfectly lax.

"I find all of this very fascinating, to tell you the truth. I like to know things, it gives me certain advantages." I blinked, realizing the slip in my words, but Urameshi seemed to think it was a joke, cackling madly.

"Well just wait until you get a load of this guy!" He said, jerking his thumb at the opening door. we entered the room, and my eyes were momentarily blinded by the change in color scheme. The office portion of the castle had been primarily grey and dull, but stepping into this ornate and colorful private room, I felt I had wandered into a scene from the Wizard of Oz.

The walls were a bright, springtime green, and the floor was chrome-colored and almost mirror-like, reflecting the pale pink of my skirt back at me with a brighter hue. Pillars held up the ceiling of the wide, open room, bright red and green with gold bands at the ends between the colors. A single desk sat alone in the otherwise empty room, multiple stacks of paperwork littered about like columns themselves. But as soon as I saw the person sitting behind the desk, fancy mauve cheongsam and all, my brain just stopped working altogether. Because this…

"The Spirit World really is run by a toddler," I said in awe, because really, how else could I feel? When Urameshi had told me about the ruler of the world beyond being a child, I assumed he meant someone closer to our age, a mechanism of appearance used to make him more comfortable. But… he meant an actual child. This made absolutely no sense.

Urameshi couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Ha! You should have seen your face, Little Kuwabara, it was priceless! You were like, 'Wow, this place is so interesting.'" He mocked my monotone voice in a low tone, forcing his face into a frown. "Then you were like a robot, like-" and he pulled a face that accurately depicted a drowned frog with popping eyes and a wide mouth. If I concentrated, I think I could have seen smoke coming from his ears.

I shook my head in disbelief, turning back to look at the toddler, whose entire face had turned beet red from embarrassment. He jumped up from the chair, standing on the seat in an attempt to appear taller. It was unsuccessful.

"Quit it, you brat," he shouted at Urameshi in a very ironic choice of words. "I'm not going to meet anyone at all if this is the reaction I get," he seethed, looking up at me.

"And as for you Miss Kuwabara, I'll have you know that I'm over 500 years old, so you can keep your toddler comments to yourself."

I blinked at him, tilting my head in wonder at the authority his voice held. It seemed wrong, somehow, that the voice of an adult belonged to someone who barely looked out of diapers. However, toddler or no, I do not take kindly to his tone. As if realizing his mistake, he blinked, backing away just a touch.

"Well, that is," he stumbled over correcting himself, but I was feeling merciful and interrupted.

"My apologies, Prince Koenma," I began. "I assume Spirits age much more slowly than humans, am I correct?"

…

…

Neither of us spoke, staring silently at each other over Urameshi's concealed laughter and Botan's reprimands of the ghost. Koenma stared at me, like he hadn't expected me to be polite. His expression resembled that of a deer in the headlights as he looked me straight in the eye, something so few people could do for an extended period.

"That's correct," he said finally, and he looked over at Urameshi with an irritated frown. "When you're quite finished Yusuke, maybe you'd like to talk about what happens now that you threw the egg into the fire."

All at once, Urameshi made a complete about-face, his laughter dying and his eyes growing serious.

"Oh, right. About that… so where am I going now? Heaven, or hell, or someplace like that?" His voice had fallen low, reflecting his mood quite accurately, but he seemed to be taking his fate very well. It was an admirable quality to be sure, much preferable to those who imagined they could cheat the inevitable and all-consuming death.

"Well, with any luck, you're going back home." And with those words, Koenma produced a golden egg, a little larger than that of a chicken, but the aura around it would never have been mistaken. It was charged with a powerful energy, and the warmth it exuded was alluring. I ripped my eyes away from it to look at Urameshi, whose gaze was focused on the egg.

"Hey, I thought I destroyed it!" The confused disbelief sounded haggard, like he was still struggling to contain his grief, but there was a new spark of hope in his eyes. Koenma wagged his finger like one would at a naughty child.

"See, that's what you get for not listening Yusuke," he said with a mocking grin. "All you did was release the energy trapped inside it, and in retrospect, it was a very good thing you threw this little thing into the fire! The energy you let out was so negative, that it would have eaten you as soon as it hatched, but because of your sacrifice, the energy was reversed. The decency in you shone through at last, and filled this egg with such pure goodness, it survived, and you along with it."

"Oh, Yusuke! Don't you get it?" Botan was practically trembling with excitement as she grabbed onto Urameshi's arm. Said ghost shook her off.

"Okay cut the emotional mushy crap," Urameshi said, taking a step forward, his look almost what I would call manic. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Koenma nodded, a proud smile on his face, this one not in jest.

"Indeed. Contrary to my personal belief, the people in your life actually do want you back, so in light of your newfound capacity to be a decent human being, and because that trait is so rare," he added in an annoyed tone, "I've decided to give you your life back."

Urameshi took only a moment to process this information before he punched the air, a powerful smile breaking open on his face as he cheered.

"Alright!" He laughed, and I felt the barest hint of a smile tugging at my lips, once more against my will. I watched him celebrate as Botan hugged him joyfully, tears falling out of happiness. He suddenly turned to look at me, clapping me on the shoulder in a very jarring way with a wide grin.

"Look at that, you won't have to tell my family after all!" he said, and I nodded.

"So it seems. Congratulations." He chuckled, looking back to Koenma with a determined look.

"Alright Koenma, so how do I do this? Do I gotta sit on the thing until it hatches or what?" I raised a brow, now picturing the boy astride the egg, neatly balanced, but the tiny prince shook his head, stowing the egg away in a pocket hidden under the tunic of his cheongsam.

"Well, that's not really an option anymore," he explained, and Urameshi fell silent, apprehension clouding his features. "See, you used up all the energy in the egg, and there's not enough in it now to hatch, so the beast can't guide you back to your body. Fortunately for you, there is another method."

"Well don't keep me waiting, what is it?" Urameshi demanded impatiently. At the same time, I was wondering something.

"Koenma," I began, startling the prince. It seemed he had forgotten I was there, or else not expected me to speak. "It seems to me that, if there was another way to bring Urameshi back, the ordeal with the egg seemed virtually pointless. The way he explained it to me, it seemed the Spirit Beast was the only way back to life for him."

Koenma fixed Urameshi with an irate glare.

"How much did you tell her?" he demanded angrily, and Urameshi shrugged, hands in his pockets.

"Umm, everything, I think. But can you blame me? I mean, I've only had Botan to talk to for weeks!" he complained, and Botan glared at him with a pout.

"Stupid!" Koenma growled, pointing at the ghost boy, who frowned at the finger directed his way. "Normal people can't know about Spirit World, it's against the rules!" Urameshi grinned.

"Well, she's not normal. And why are you getting so worked up over it anyways- you brought her here, remember?" I stepped forward, grateful for Urameshi's endorsement of me, but anxious to speak for myself.

"Something I was wondering about," I said, a frown finding its way to my face, and Koenma… did I imagine it, or was that a flash of fear?

"True, I brought her here for a reason, but the point is that you can't go blabbing about this to just anyone you meet," Koenma explained, looking back at the boy for a moment. The ghost teen frowned, crossing his arms in a way that was intimidating, I suppose, in its own right.

"You know, she's got a point there. If there was another way, why did I have to go through all that with the egg and the fire, and the helping people out, huh?" he asked, and from his choice of words, I made my own assumption.

"The ordeal was a test," I suggested, and Urameshi practically glowed with rage. Koenma appeared worried.

"Well, not exactly-" the prince began, but Urameshi cut him off with a snarl.

"So then did you guys set up for my house to catch fire, or was that just an unlucky coincidence? You put Keiko in danger on purpose, didn't you!?" He took a threatening step forward for each accusation, and rather than protect her employer, Botan only stood away, as though terrified by his rage, or the thought of the information.

"That's not it at all," Koenma exclaimed, looking to Botan for help, but she only looked at him fearfully.

"Well it sure seems that way to me," the teen growled, and I nodded.

"You must admit, this all looks very suspicious." Koenma turned a frown to me, then breathed out a sigh. I was surprised Urameshi let him go into his explanation.

"The ordeal with your Spirit Beast was the first option, because it did not require any energy on the part of Spirit World. In effect, it would be your own will and energy that brought you back to life. But, since you sacrificed that energy at the cost of your own life, demonstrating an enormous capacity for kindness I never thought possible, I've decided that it is worth spending the energy required to bring you back myself. So really, it wasn't so much a test by design, but by events that unfolded."

I mulled over that explanation and found that it seemed plausible, and Koenma's face did not betray any fallacies, so it seemed to be the truth.

"That… that makes sense, I guess," Urameshi said slowly as his mind wrapped itself around the idea. "Either I would be good enough to bring myself back, or I'd be good enough for you to do it." He looked at me, recognizing the superior intelligence.

"That does make sense, right?" he asked, and I gave Koenma a long look, solely for the purpose of making him sweat.

"Surprisingly, yes," I conceded after an extended few seconds, and the sigh of relief was practically visible.

"Okay, so what happens now?" Urameshi asked, and Koenma turned his attention to the boy.

"Well, I was getting to that. Now, we go to the living world so I can prepare your body to receive your soul through the alternative way. When your body is ready, which will be by mid-day, someone who cares about you must donate some of their life energy, and that will make it possible for your soul to go back into your body."

"Oh Koenma Sir, you're so gracious!" Botan exclaimed with a clap, her mood reaching the joyful high it was at before. Urameshi turned to me with a grin.

"Hey, mind helping me out Little Kuwabara? I don't really wanna have to go into everyone's dreams again, and since you already know about it…" he trailed off, hoping I'd pick it up and agree. I raised a brow in concern.

"But Urameshi, it has to be someone who cares about you, which I don't," I replied, and his hopeful grin faded in the wake of a glare. He looked away with a huff as Botan giggled.

"What _ever_!" My lips twitched and Koenma chuckled, an odd thing to hear from someone his stature.

"Sorry Yusuke, it doesn't work like that. You'll just have to go into the dreams of the three people who care about you the most and hope for the best," Koenma said with a cheery smile. Urameshi seemed to lose all of his animosity and his constant emotional 180's were beginning to give me proverbial whiplash. He turned back to Koenma with an eager smile, impatience in his eyes.

"Well what are we waiting for- let's do this!"

"In a little while," Koenma said, waving dismissively. "Botan will take you back to the living world. I'll join you shortly. There are some things I must discuss with Miss Kuwabara that require my immediate attention."

My ears perked up at that, and a wave of apprehension hit me like a bag of bricks. I had almost forgotten why I was here in the first place. Of course, the reasons were still unknown to me, but it was a safe bet that I would be finding out soon.

Urameshi gave me a look, and I was stunned to find a trace of worry in his gaze.

"What are you gonna do to her?" he asked, and for a split second, his concern for me touched a place in my mind that filled with warmth, a warmth I hadn't felt in a very long time. It vanished as soon as it came, but the experience left me a little shaken, so I didn't hear Koenma's answer. Urameshi, however, only smiled, so it must not have been anything too terrible.

"Well, alright then, I'll see you around," he said to me, then turned to saunter out of the office, Botan leading him with happy exclamations. The door slammed shut behind them…

And I was alone with Koenma.

* * *

**Chapter 2, and the adventure continues!**

**I know I'm only two chapter in, but I still want to thank you if you've stuck with me this far. I am very self-conscious about my work, so I take all criticism to heart and appreciate any of it, be it on my grammar or possibly any structural errors. If you catch it, let me know. If nothing else, I am a people-pleaser. **

**I should tell you that this chapter did not exist until recently. None of it did, really. There's maybe 5% of the original source material left, and the rest was added on the third revision. I hope it comes across not as filler, but essential to later events. I don't do filler. This is something you should come to expect, because everything will have lasting effects and consequences. **

**I won't bore you with details, and just say that I hope to see you next chapter. **

**Meow for now!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer? I think not!**

* * *

_One little monkey jumping on the bed._  
_She fell off and bumped her head._  
_Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said,_  
_"No more monkeys jumping on the bed."_

_\- The Monkey Song Thing that everyone sang as a kid_

**Chapter 3: There's No Place Like Home**

I looked at the prince, whose demeanor had changed to one that put me on edge. Such a serious look did not belong on the face of a toddler, yet I could not find it within myself to see the situation humorous. Koenma regarded me with an assessing gaze, and I observed him right back, noting the change in posture was tense, but not entirely geared towards either fight or flight. He was on guard.

That worried me.

"I would like you to undergo a medical exam."

. . . _Huh?_

My face must have reflected my confusion, because he gave a tense, reassuring smile.

"Yes, you heard me right," he said. "I'd like you to see one of our medical examiners, if you wouldn't mind, that is." I narrowed my eyes, not trusting his sincere tone, yet finding no visible evidence of lies. I chose my words and intonation carefully.

"You say that… as though I have a choice." Koenma was certainly no imbecile, and he picked up on the unspoken question immediately. He took a long moment to answer, and my head tilted as I tried to figure out these strange events.

"To be perfectly honest, you do," he said, and my thoughts halted, not for the first time that night either. He must have seen the question in my gaze, because he launched into explanation without preamble.

"I wasn't going to tell you any of this because of how dangerous we perceived you," he began, and I went into high alert. My body tensed, ready to run should the need arise. He didn't seem to notice, or care.

"But you see, Spirit World is not designed to hold the living. So really, if you desperately wanted to leave, you could, and we would have no way of stopping you. All you would have to do is ask to go, and you would reappear back home."

I considered this, my brow furrowing as I tried to make sense of the little prince, and failed. I wasn't accustomed to being on the other end of this.

"Is it your plan to erase my memory?" My question threw him off, and he looked genuinely surprised, and just the smallest bit offended.

"No no no, not at all!" he reassured me quickly, waving his hands in an animated fashion. "No, you're much too guarded a mind for us to do that anyways, even if we wanted to."

"But then why else would you be telling me all of this?" I demanded, and this time when he smiled, it was rueful, and a little kind.

"Because you're not nearly as cut and dry as your file suggests," he told me, and I stored that information away for later. "You are a complex individual, and I felt, based on our interactions just a few minutes ago, that you would not just run away when given the opportunity. You're much too curious for that."

That much, at least, was true. His honesty did not make me more trusting of him, but I found that the perceived risk had gone down enough for me to give in to my curiosity. I nodded, putting my hands behind my back and lacing my fingers together.

"Every individual is complex," I told him, pausing for a moment to weigh my options. Curiosity won out in the end. "Very well, then I will see your medical examiner." He looked pleasantly surprised at my compliance, and hopped down from his chair, disappearing behind the desk. He really was tiny, he only came up to my waist when I saw him again.

"Good! Follow me please."

He lead me out of the office through a side door that I am quite certain wasn't there before, and we walked along dark and desolate hallways for a time, taking so many twists and turns, I'm sure he was only going this way to confuse me.

"What _exactly _does my file say about me?" I asked, and he visibly stiffened.

"Well, a normal file contains the biggest events in a person's life, the opinions on them of those who know them best, identifying information, only the very important things," he explained, and I felt a slight chill set over me, a chill I was not unfamiliar with and brought no discomfort.

"Oh?" I voice softly. He nodded, walking ahead of me, so he couldn't see the look on my face. I doubt he would have liked it.

"Yes, but yours is special. Your file has everything, from the night of August 23, 1989 on. Your entire life story has been documented flawlessly. I suppose you could say, we know everything."

And then he stopped, looking at me, and in his face he held fear, concealed by a mask of false confidence. My heart echoed with dull thuds in my ears, my fingertips tingling.

"Everything?" I asked quietly, and he nodded, pushing open a door that materialized from nowhere.

"Yes, Hotaru. We know about what you do."

A brief flash of an image ran through my mind, of his small body lying mangled and broken at my feet, the bones jutting out from his soft flesh and his mouth a pool of blood. The image left as soon as it came. I pushed it away myself.

I followed him into a new room, one with bright, cherry red walls and the same chrome floor that was in his office. A woman with dark hair, the color of old blood, was sitting by an examination table, the only one in the room. They must not have many injuries or illnesses here if this was the extent of their hospital.

The woman's eyes were black, two endless voids set into the white sclera, and I was disconcerted upon finding that despite her soft smile, I could read nothing from her. It was as though she were a shadow, completely devoid of life, but she was clearly breathing. Her skin was cherry-blossom pink, perhaps another offshoot of demons like the ogres? What I could see of her hands and neck, there were winding tattoos of dark brown coiled over her fingers and disappearing beneath a white kimono.

"Kuwabara Hotaru?" she asked, and I nodded, suddenly wishing I had taken up Koenma on his offer. Something didn't feel right about this. That woman was wrong. Everything about her was just… off! Give me a hundred years, give me a thousand years, a million different languages, and I could never explain the way she made me feel.

Insignificant is the closest word, for I could feel her powerful presence, and it dwarfed me one hundred fold. I was drowning, drowning in a void that seemed to emanate like an invisible fog from her body. Everything around her was crushing emptiness, and the closer I cam to her, the less sure I felt that I was still inside reality.

"Please, come sit down," she gestured to the bench, and to my surprise, I numbly complied. If she noticed my discomfort, she said nothing. She gave nothing away in her carefully sculpted, easily managed smile. It was unnerving. It was… terrifying.

I sat on the cool metal bench, Koenma watching from a distance. It seemed bizarre, but I wanted him closer, to offer any sort of comfort in the presence of the walking void of the woman. She took my hand in her own cold appendages, and I allowed her to, my compliance making me feel such self-loathing that I almost got up and ran out of there. She turned my hand over so the palm faced up, and began tracing the lines like a fortune teller might do.

She finished with that hand and carefully stroked the other in the same fashion, her eyes not emoting even her concentration, not reacting to whatever she was finding hidden in the lines of my hands. She took hold of my face, and my breath caught in my throat when her skin, as cold as death, touched the sides of my neck. I was immobilised. She could have strangled me and I wouldn't have done a thing. Her icy fingers leaving a trail of goosebumps as she traced over the structure of my bones, the flesh tingling in the wake of her ministrations.

Her eyes bored deep into mine, and I could see my face, completely emotionless, reflected back at me like a perfect mirror. I could even see myself in color, eyes ice blue and wide, hair falling to the side in a short cut with the bangs framing my face, leaving my forehead and neck exposed. The shorter cut was better for me-

She broke eye contact, pushing me back gently so that I was lying down on the table. She brought both her hands up over my heart and forehead, then, to my utter shock, an energy began leaking out of her skin, seeming to materialize out of nothing and covering her hands in a glowing aura, the color almost matching her skin.

"The Rose Light," I whispered, not intending to speak, but it seems I did. She looked up sharply, and the sensation of drowning grew only stronger as I stared into those eyes which, for the first time, showed an emotion.

Anger. With her hands glowing pink above me, I realized once more what a compromising situation I had allowed myself to be in. How did this happen?

"What was that?" she asked, her soft voice not betraying the darkness in her gaze. I swallowed, using what little composure I had to answer her.

"Nothing at all." She emoted a second time, this time surprise, but then her placid false smile returned and she resumed her work. A few minutes passed by before I saw anything resembling emotion from her again. This time, it was something akin to shocked relief. She retracted her hands and the Rose Light dissipated into her skin.

She lead me to sit up and I allowed her to handle me like a doll. Koenma approached slowly, like we were two wild animals that would flee at the first hint of danger. That one animal felt cornered and stalked by the other was an unimportant detail.

"Well?" he asked, and the woman took a step back, her oppressive aura letting up just enough for me to breathe again. She did not look away from me, however, which left me frozen in her stare.

"It is as I thought," she replied with that smile, and a voice so delicate it might disappear in the emptiness. "She has an obstruction between the soul and the mind that prohibits the transference and processing of emotion. She is handicapped, in a sense. However, the blockage is only partial. There is a minute gap in the obstruction that is allowing the faintest traces of humanity through, approximately 12% of her humanity, as a matter of fact."

I remained silent, my thoughts not even able to process what was going on with her intense aura cavity.

"What's the likelihood that the blockage will be complete?" Koenma asked.

"It's high," the woman replied. "However, her own energy is potent. I believe exposure to others with powerful spirit energy and the strengthening of her own power will widen the gap, and potentially increase emotional output. As long as her human energy is strong, she will not succumb completely to the… obstruction."

Koenma bowed to the woman, his bulbous cap nearly touching the floor when he did, and when he straightened, he wore a look of determination.

"Thank you, it's much appreciated. I believe you can stop projecting now," he added, and the woman giggled. Her eyes closed, and the weight of the void vanished. My body felt light, like I had just been under a ton of rocks and the weight had disappeared with no more than a wave of a hand. The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to think of them, and I hated that my voice cracked as much as it did.

"I want to go home!"

In the blink of an eye, the cherry-red walls were replaced with the dark interior of my bedroom. I found my breath to be haggard and fast, my chest trembling, my hands shaking. I clutched the covers of my bed to have some hold on the real world, as though at any moment, I might slip away, back to the Spirit World. I let out a shuddering sigh, closing my eyes and focusing on the silence.

… Something was scratching at my door.

I stood on shaky legs to open it, and almost screamed when something furry brushed past my legs. Mami hopped onto my bed, yellow eyes staring at me in what could be curiosity. She seemed to be wondering where I went. I walked back over to the bed and sat down, holding her in my lap as she purred, rubbing the top of her head on my chin.

"It's alright, I was just out for a bit, no need to worry."

…

Back in the Spirit World, Koenma stood in the room with the red-haired woman, staring at the spot where the girl had vanished. She had sounded so young in that moment, her voice moments away from sobbing. She was nothing like the cool, calm, intelligent girl who had challenged him in his office, whose cold gaze pictured his death when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

"She is strong," the woman said finally, her smile still in place. This smile was even more unnerving than Hotaru's blank, dead eyes. "She was resisting the projection. Her body complied, but her mind would not bend. It seems she never lost that certain trait. How irritating."

Koenma walked the rest of the way over to the medical bench… only it wasn't a medical bench anymore, it was a bed. And the table and tray became a dresser and lamp. The facade of the nurses office faded, revealing a simple bedroom for one. The woman sat on her bed, staring out a window with a false scene, showing a field of flowers that existed somewhere, but nowhere near her.

"Could this have been prevented?" the prince asked. "If we had known… I mean, could we have done something?"

The woman scoffed, taking her long hair and beginning to braid it to the side.

"_If_ you had known," she repeated mockingly. "I warned your father that this would happen. He knew, and he did nothing."

"He… he what?" Koenma went ignored.

"But no, there was nothing that could have been done," she admitted with what appeared to be a frown, but Koenma really couldn't tell. "She would always have ended up this way, though it would have taken much longer. The Yaksha would have been like a growing tumor in her spirit, slowly killing her off until it could survive on its own. Even without the catalyst and the trigger, she would have become a monster."

"The catalyst and the trigger?" Koenma prompted. She nodded.

"The catalyst, the single event that put all of this into motion. It was the death of her mother that drove her out into the night, and caused the trigger event, her first kill," she said almost lovingly. "That was the trigger for the Yaksha to try to take over. Before that night, her energy was completely balanced. She was fifty percent human before then, but the trigger caused the Yaksha to rise up, leaving only a meager twenty percent of humanity left, and it has only shrunk."

Koenma narrowed his eyes, suspicion clouding his features as he gazed at the woman several millennia his senior.

"How do you know about that?" he asked sharply. "I only told you there was a Yaksha, not the details of her encounter." The woman smiled coyly, at least, it was an imitation of a coy smile.

"You should know better than to ask me my ways, Little Prince. You're better off not knowing. In any case, your little girl is dying," she said, effectively cutting off the conversation before it started. "If you truly believe she can be saved, I suggest you find her a suitable companion, one with enough spirit energy to support hers, so that her natural human power can grow and return her to her state of equilibrium."

"You mean to say we have to leave the Yaksha inside of her?" the toddler asked in awe, and with no small amount of anger. "But we can't! They were eliminated for a reason!"

"_Don't you think I know that?_" the woman hissed, turning vicious black eyes to Koenma in her first true display of emotion. "She cannot survive if the Yaksha takes control, and she cannot survive without its presence. It's too fully integrated into her soul now. The best thing to do is have equal parts of both sides. Only then will there truly be peace, balance."

She looked at him a moment longer before sweeping away to the window. The scene changed to rain on a barren hill and the woman looked out over it morosely.

"Leave me," she commanded, her tone dead. Koenma obliged, and as he shut the door, he could make out the smallest of smiles on her face, and even from this distance, he could tell…

It was real.

* * *

_A scream pierced the night, but it was cut short when I wrapped my hands around the prey's throat, my thumbs digging into the soft flesh as I straddled her slightly larger form. The pure terror in her eyes sent a thrill through me that I couldn't describe. Such a normal girl, a classmate, who liked to spread rumors. I'd like to see her try to talk with a crushed windpipe. She deserved this, and I was more than happy to deal it out._

_Her fingers clawed at my hands, chipping her perfectly manicured nails on the thick leather gloves. Her legs kicked out and her body flailed helplessly. Her heartbeat raced, faster and faster, like pounding footsteps drawing nearer and nearer. _

_I applied more pressure, and her movements became more erratic. Drums in the night echoed from her body, pounding so loudly, they resonated in my own ears. The struggle was very real, and she gave up on trying to pry my fingers off her neck. Her hands assaulted my face in desperation, slapping and scratching, weak punches followed by grabbing at my hair, which was covered by the ski mask. I grinned down at her, letting her make her futile attempts at resistance. _

_It was a symphony now, the great staccato percussion, the wheezing of the woodwinds, strings snapping like bones, or bones like strings. The vertebrae in her neck fractured._

_Her eyes rolled back, her face was turning blue. Her cheeks were saturated with tears and drool dripped from the corners of her mouth. I could smell the salt as I sat above her, waiting patiently as her legs slowed down and her feeble arms could no longer lift. With a few final twitches, she stilled. I held on for just a few moments longer to feel the last beats of her heart. Her dark blue eyes dimmed. They stared into the darkness of her bedroom, illuminated by the pale moonlight that filtered in._

_I sat back, glancing around at the small room. The messy bed was upturned from my activities. A broken lamp lay on the floor. A picture frame held a photograph of the prey, her smile wide and eyes very much alive as she posed beside her parents. Her painted pink lips would never tell another lie again._

_A sliver of yellow illuminated part of the room, the light falling on my back. A gasp, a scream, an anguished yell, her parents were awake. I turned, taking in their shock, horror, anger, sorrow. They had seen me now. They didn't see my face, but they knew. They saw too much. It wouldn't do to have witnesses. Things started to get blurry._

I awoke with a start.

The room was dark, like in the dream, but it wasn't a mess. Light was absent, as the curtains were drawn over the windows. The clock read 5:18. Too early. I wouldn't have to get up for another two hours. I rolled over, nestling my head deeper into the covers and closing my eyes to finish the memory out.

When I awoke the next morning, little of the vulnerability I had experienced the previous night remained, and while thoughts of the woman with black eyes gave me chills, I was not paralyzed with the same fear as when I was in her void presence. I was now able to reflect on her words, or at least, what I remembered of them.

So… I was only using twelve percent of my humanity then. What exactly was blocking the other eighty-eight percent I wonder. How would I go about clearing the obstruction? Did I even want to?

The easiest answer was yes, of course I did, because that would be what is best for my family. But my true answer was simply… I don't know. Could I even function with so much emotion? Would I eventually feel guilty for my hobbies, maybe turn myself in? What would become of my family then? The shame of sharing my blood would ruin them for good. Of course, that is the worst case scenario. Perhaps I could negotiate to remain partially obstructed, maybe seventy percent obstructed to thirty percent humanity…

"Why am I even considering this," I wondered aloud to myself. Why would I engage in negotiations at all? Koenma had already confirmed that they can't force me to do anything. There's no need for any compromises.

I finally got up much later than I intended, and I didn't have time to eat before leaving for school. The blue uniform of Sarayashiki was unflattering on the prettiest of girls. The skirt was horrendously long, and the top… it was insulting. I would have much preferred a jumpsuit, or something like that. With my flat chest, I might easily pass for a young boy.

I slid into my seat near the front of the room, so positioned because of my height, and watched the other students file in, the morning dragging their eyelids down and their shoulders hunched over with memories of warm blankets. Or maybe that was just me…

My classmates greeted each other as they filled their seats, some offering words of acknowledgement to me as well. I simply nodded back, wishing I'd had the foresight to grab coffee that morning. Sleep had not come easily to me after my encounter with Spirit World. Hopefully it would be the last, but the twitching in the back of my mind warned me that more was to come.

"Hotaru-Chan," one of my classmates stopped by my desk, brown eyes wide with curiosity. "I heard your brother wasn't fighting anymore, is that true?" she asked, and I scoffed, pasting on a patient smile.

"You're about a week late hearing that," I informed her. "He only stopped for one week, and that was because of a deal he made with Akashi-San. Before he was fired, that is."

The girl, Kawamura Asako, made a noise of understanding, then smiled.

"Well, I think that was really cool of him- I also heard he passed the science test! Maybe if he put more effort into school instead of fighting, he might be a really good student! I- I mean, n-not that he's like, bad, but umm…" she faltered, flushing in embarrassment, and I gave a good natured chuckle that sounded wrong coming from my throat.

"Don't worry, you haven't offended me. Actually, I think you're right," I told her, and she sighed in relief, giving me a bright smile.

"Really? Well, I really just wanted to ask you if you wanted to sit with Hitomi and me at lunch today. Maybe we could go over the maths homework before class?" she asked hopefully, and I raised by brow, giving her a mock scolding look.

"You just want the answers, don't you," I accused. Can't these children learn to do their own work without relying on others? I understand they are attempting to cultivate a friendship out of need for my superior intellect, and I can certainly respect that. But could they not choose someone else? I wasn't the only student who was passing. Still, I kept the teasing smile on my face, and Asako flushed once again.

"Well, I didn't really understand all of it, and I was hoping you could help me get it right," she admitted, ruffling the back of her head nervously. The short, straight black hair stuck out where she touched it. I sighed internally, while on the outside, I gave her a kind smile.

"Of course I can, where are you girls eating today?"

And so, I signed away my lunch hour to help the two girls with their maths. It wasn't an unusual occurrence. They recognized the higher caliber when they saw it, and at the very least, I could play along for my reputation. I met them in the courtyard just by the wall, where they had laid out a blanket to sit on.

Considering the previous night, things were going smoothly that day. My classes passed in relative order, and having lunch with Asako and Hitomi was not too unbearable, both girls being less than sociable by nature. I think out of all my classmates, I loathed their company the least. Hitomi, her black hair much longer and cut in the traditional style, was reading our assigned book as I helped Asako plot coordinate plains.

"But why would you need to graph an equation in the first place?" the girl asked with a growl, crumpling up her bangs in frustration. "Don't you get the answer by solving the equation? Doesn't that just complicate things?"

"Yes and no," I said, directing her attention to the paper we were working on. "If I were to need to know the effect of something over time, I would need to transform the elements of the thing I am studying into numbers, and turn the event itself into an equation like Sara-San did, remember?" At her nod, I continued.

"Alright, well in that case, the equation doesn't have a definitive answer. If I am adding the passage of time or distance into the equation, you wouldn't get a single solution, you would get multiple solutions, which," I held up a finger, cutting off her almost-interruption. "If graphed properly, you can extrapolate a single answer from any point in time as it applies to the problem. If I wanted to know the effects of… the rising water level in about ten years, I would take the variables and graph them."

"But how do you know what numbers to put in?" she demanded with a frown. "How do you get the ten years answer? Where does the number go?"

"Here," I pointed into the parentheses. "You simply chose a number, any number, to substitute for X, and with enough X variables, you can extrapolate the corresponding Y, and that gives you the answer you need."

Her eyes lit up as the concept finally clicked in her mind, and the slight rush of pride I felt made the entire experience seem a little less bothersome.

"Hey, I think I got it! What do you know, this stuff has practical uses after all!" She grinned and I shook my head with a sigh. Hitomi looked up from her reading then, smiling at her friend.

"Finally! I've been trying to explain that to her for days! Hey, Hotaru-Chan, what does caricature mean?"

"A caricature is a representation of something where certain aspects are comically or grotesquely exaggerated, like a political cartoon," I explained, and the girl nodded, striking blue eyes turning back to the pages of the book. She certainly earned her name. Asako did as well, with her chipper morning-person vibes.

Indeed, everything was going very smoothly, until gym. It had been baseball today, a sport I particularly enjoyed for its complexity. While others may have found the rules confusing, it was a challenge for me to play with a perfect record. Focusing on the game pushed all other thought from my mind. Once off the field however, things started to go a little sideways in my head.

"Did you hear? Yukimura-Senpai from Class A got called home because her mother got sick!"

My ears perked immediately, latching onto that convenient tidbit of information. What were the chances that someone would say that, right now in the locker room, where I could so easily hear it? I pulled my white shirt over my head, trying not to listen in, but ultimately failing. Why? I'm not sure. It didn't concern me, so I shouldn't care to listen, but I did anyways.

"Yeah, she was crying and everything. I'm a little worried, she's always so nice!"

"Plus she just lost her friend, that Urameshi guy. This has to be really tough on her."

"Maybe we could make her a meal or something-"

I stopped listening as I turned on the shower, washing away the sweat and dust I'd accumulated playing. This wasn't my business. I shoved it as far out of my mind as I could and focused on getting clean. In English class, however, the thoughts resurfaced.

Yukimura had been at school all morning, and Urameshi's body wasn't ready until mid day, if I remember Koenma's words correctly, so she wouldn't have had time to revive him if she'd gone straight to her mother. No, no! This is not my business. I will _not _get involved.

As I sat down for my next class, physical science, I couldn't help but wonder if Urameshi had been successful in contacting the girl in her dreams. He'd implied that it wasn't a fool-proof way to communicate, so perhaps he wasn't able to impart his message. And then I remembered that I had other, better things to think about, and pushed that away once again.

The last class was a free period, and I couldn't focus on the book I was trying to read with the question in my mind of what if Yukimura didn't know she was supposed to revive him? She could miss the deadline and potentially strand him in the in-between world forever.

. . .

I rationalized this in the only way that seemed logical. I was the only living person Urameshi could communicate with right now. If he were to be stranded, he would be bothering me non-stop, asking me to convey messages and whatnot. If he is revived, he likely won't speak to me again, barring a friendly acknowledgement or two, so really, I did have a stake in this.

Resolved, I gathered Yukimura's missed classwork and headed to the hospital, because I may as well do that since I'm going anyways, and this gives me a valid excuse.

After explaining with a worried smile at the hospital front desk that I was a classmate concerned for my friend's wellbeing, a nurse pointed me to the room where Yukimura's mother was staying. I peeked inside to find the young girl sitting by the bedside of a woman with a stern face and black hair. Yukimura looked morosely at her mother, holding her hand in silence. The resemblance between mother and daughter was astounding. I certainly looked nothing like my mother.

"Yukimura Keiko," I said softly, and the girl looked up with a jolt of surprise. She stared at me in confusion for a moment.

"Yes? Who… oh!" Her face cleared and she sat up straighter, tired eyes searching my face. "I remember you, you're Kuwabara's sister, right?" I nodded.

"Kuwabara Hotaru, we haven't been introduced formally." I walked fully inside the room, setting the stack of papers down on the bedside table. "I've brought you the schoolwork you missed."

She looked at the papers as though they were something foreign, then looked up at me again.

"Oh… thank you. But you're not in my class," she said, and I shrugged.

"It wasn't a problem. I was in the area."

I stood there somewhat awkwardly, not entirely sure how to broach the subject I came to discuss without sounding like a madwoman. You had to be delicate with normal people. Most would scoff at the idea of the supernatural. Though, Urameshi had apparently convinced her not to burn his body, so there was that at least.

"Umm, Hotaru-Chan," she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Was there… something else?" Her gaze was hopeful, and I decided this was entirely worth the risk now.

"Yes, actually. I was wondering if you'd had a chance to see Urameshi today," I said, and the effect on her was immediate. She stiffened, eyes widening with a sharp intake of breath. She looked anxious now, like she had been hoping I might bring this up.

"Yusuke? I checked on him this morning, why do you ask?" she queried softly, tentatively testing the waters of the conversation.

"When I spoke with him, he said something about appearing in your dreams to give you a message. I was wondering if he had been able to-"

She was in front of me faster than I could blink, and I was honestly shocked by the look she bestowed upon me, like I had all the answers in the world, like I was something important.

"You spoke to him? When? Is he here? Can I talk to him?" she asked her questions in rapid fire, looking about as though she might see her friend standing in some corner. He wasn't in the room, so I couldn't be sure where he was. Perhaps he was hanging around by his body. Yukimura grabbed my arm, her eyes frantic, and I took her wrist firmly.

"I'm a psychic, not a telephone for public use," I scolded, and she pulled away with an embarrassed frown.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just, I miss him so much! So my dream was real then?" She looked up with a hopeful expression, and I tilted my head. "He was glowing in my dream, but he wasn't this morning," she explained.

"His body will have been ready by mid-day," I told her. "I don't know about glowing, but I'm certain if you go now, you can get there in time to revive him, however you're supposed to do that."

She nodded determinedly, moving around me and taking off running out the door. She threw a quick thank you over her shoulder as she went, and was gone before I even had a chance to say anything more. I raised a brow, a huff of laughter escaping me as I listened to her footsteps fade. But when I looked back into the room, I frowned.

"She left her schoolwork." I sighed, shaking my head, then I walked over to the window, the only sound in the room the beeping monitor indicating Yukimura-San's heartbeat. I looked up and felt a small smirk rise to my face upon seeing Urameshi and Botan floating just a few yards away. They both noticed me with identical looks of confusion, then looked down where I presume Yukimura had just left the hospital. Urameshi looked back to me again with a grin. He waved and shouted something, his lips easy to read as he soared off to follow the girl.

"You're welcome," I replied softly, watching them fly away until they were out of my sight.

* * *

**Here you are, up to three!**

**I've had several ideas playing about in my head for Hotaru as a character, and how she interacts with and affects other characters as she goes about her day-to-day life. I experiment with her a lot in future chapters, and I hope you all enjoy reading her as much as I enjoy writing her. She's a challenge to be sure. I'll see you all next week, probably, maybe, possibly. Not entirely sure. Either way, a new chapter is coming, so make sure to stock up your constructive criticism!**

**Meow for now!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heyyyyyy...**

**Chapter 4! I'm excited, are you? I'm still writing chapter 17 at the moment, despite having other chapters already done up to like... chapter 46? It's a long story, and a painful one to my soul. I was so cringy two years ago (which was when I started writing this) and I created things I regret. It's taken a long time to fix things. Thank God I never published what I had before. **

**Enjoy, maybe, I dunno.**

* * *

_I've been searching city streets,_  
_trying to find the missing piece, like you said._  
_And I searched hard, only to find_  
_There's not a single thing that's wrong with my mind._

_I'm gonna show you_  
_loco, maniac, sick bitch, psychopath._  
_Yeah, I'm gonna show you,_  
_I'm gonna show you._

_\- That funny song that's really popular in Tik Toks._

**The Cats Are _Not_ in the Cradle  
**

The tabby cat I brought home three years ago became pregnant a few months prior to my excursions with Urameshi and Spirit World. We had a hunch that the father was the alley cat with the ruddy, rust-colored fur. He would have been prettier if he was taken care of, but I hadn't taken him in. Not that he was particularly resistant, but I already had all the animal companionship I needed.

His kittens were quite aesthetically pleasing, however, and Kazuma took a special liking to one of them. It was a female, with the same reddish brown fur as her father, but a creamy underbelly and four white paws.

He named her Eikichi.

We gave the others away, which was difficult for us all. The kittens had all taken to me, following me around the house in favor of their mother. Getting them to leave me was a chore all on it's own, let alone finding someone who would take them. Only Eikichi and Mami remained. Under my watchful eye, and after a consistent diet and exercise regimen, the once tubby tabby was now lean and fit, and a wonderful mouser. The vet told us she was about 2 when we got her, which makes her 5 now.

As few people know, Kazuma has two weaknesses. Pretty girls (or girls in general, if we're being candid), and cats. As soon as he saw Eikichi, he fell absolutely in love, and something about the way he fawned over her like a priceless possession told me this wouldn't end well.

His friends had taken his new obsession quite well, aside from the merciless teasing that was expected of every group of young men. They would often accompany us, on their own merit, to the vet when we took our two cats for their checkups, and they strongly insisted on accompanying me when I mentioned I would be going alone to get Mami spayed. Apparently, the vet's office was inside the territory of another group of school-age gangsters, and they didn't want me going alone. It was an acceptably friendly gesture that I did not refuse.

I can only assume that it was on one of Kazuma's vet trips that Sakimoto found out about my brothers attachment to his kitten.

Eikichi and Mami had both gone missing, but we didn't know how until Kazuma received a phone call instructing him to meet a certain person at a cafe the next day, or the cats would both be dead. He was also ordered to steal a comic book from a store, any store. Kazuma said he could handle it, that I shouldn't get involved.

So naturally I followed him and his three friends incognito, with shades over my eyes and a baseball cap pulled low over my face. My hair was just short enough for me to tuck all of it neatly under the hat, and the slightly oversized red jacket was something I'd found poking around the attic. He would never have been able to tell it was me.

I tailed them to a manga shop, then to a little diner a few blocks down from the vets office. They went inside, and I hung around outside the window, eyes glued to the same three words on the newspaper I was hiding behind, staring unblinkingly. After a few minutes, Kazuma and the boys came back out, this time flanked by six others, all of whom looked to be high-school age. My lips turned down at that. Picking on the weaker was easy, and antagonizing a kohai seemed to give these career criminals a power trip I could understand. However, considering their choice in targets, I found myself less respectful and more keen on giving them a lesson in honor.

They were all fairly tall and muscular, typical teen-aged street thugs, save for one. The outlier walked at the center of the group, clearly in the place of the boss, though he didn't look capable. He was lanky and smartly dressed, with large round glasses and…

Horns.

The longer I stared, the less I could understand what I was seeing, which was quite unusual. Two devilish horns poked out of the thin boy's forehead, translucent, like they were somehow out of phase with the rest of his body. The protrusions weren't attached to any sort of accessoryThey looked almost like they belonged on a ghost, but as I began following, the horns began to solidify, until there was no question of their existence. I hadn't seen something like that in such a long time, I had thought it a creation of my young, imaginative mind.

I was so focused on the oddity that I walked straight into another pedestrian who had exited the diner.

"Hey, watch it shorty," a brassy voice chastised, and I hopped back to regain my balance. My eyes traveled up blue jeans, a green jacket, sunglasses over a frowning face, and black hair falling over his forehead.

"Pardon me," I said, moving to walk past him, but he shifted and blocked my way again. I felt a slight tingle in my hands, my chest tightening just enough to control my breathing. I bladed my stance, staring up at the person.

"Move," I commanded, and I saw his lips part in surprise, but then he smirked.

"Or what? You gonna make me, half-pint? I just wanna know why you're following Kuwabara." I stopped short, blinking my surprise away. I tilted my head a touch. I'm sure I knew the voice, but I couldn't place it.

"Yeah, you were being pretty sneaky, but I can spot a tail a mile away. So what's your deal?" I frowned, raising my chin up a touch.

"If you don't let me pass, things won't end very well for you. I doubt your boss will appreciate having to scrape you off the pavement," I added, but rather than laugh, the boy only frowned again, shifting his stance a little away, leaning further back as if to assess me.

"My boss? You mean that freaky horns guy?" I breathed in sharply, my eyes growing wide. The boy scoffed, tossing his head to the side. "I'm not one of his jerks, I thought _you_ were."

"You can see the horns?" I asked quickly, and the guy looked down at me, tension leaving his form slowly.

"Yeah, I mean, it's kinda obvious, isn't it?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"No, not to normal people." I paused, peering around him, but my brother and gang were long gone by now. A growl slipped past my lips and I looked up at the guy sharply.

"Look, I don't have time to hang around here, my brother needs my help. If you're not working for Sakimoto, then get out of my way." He didn't move for a moment, then, with jerky movements, he reached up to his face and removed the large glasses. I found myself looking into familiar chocolate brown eyes, wide with surprise.

"Little Kuwabara?"

"Urameshi?"

We stared at each other for a split second until a wide grin stretched over his face and he clapped my shoulder in a friendly way.

"Well whaddya know! It's you after all!" Then, his smile turned vicious and he turned to look over his shoulder. "Come on, I know where they're going. Let's show those assholes who's boss!"

I didn't question his about-face, or even his willingness to help. Stopping to tell him to leave didn't occur to me either. I simply nodded with an appreciative look, and as one, we began running. If anything, him being there would only make my job easier. He was a fairly reliable body shield, able to take substantial blows and not likely to leave the fight.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye when I heard a laugh, more like a sadistic giggle if I'd ever heard one. In his hand, I saw a small squeeze bottle of some kind. There was a barely audible pop as he flicked the tab of the container open, squirting the substance inside onto his opposite palm. Despite the rapid pace, he seemed to be able to slick his hair back relatively neatly.

"What _are_ you doing?" I asked. He could have replied with the obvious: putting gel in his hair, of course. Instead, he understood the actual question of why, and gave me a toothy, shark-like grin back.

"No one's gonna recognize me without it," he explained. "How can I make an entrance if I have to introduce myself? Better to let them figure it out on their own so they freak out harder."

His answer was obviously not what I expected, and I blame the shock value more than anything. I couldn't stop the high laugh that bubbled out of my lips when I heard that. I put a hand over my mouth, stunned at the reaction that had been drawn from me as he finished applying his product. He looked exactly the same as before his death, with exception to the extra inch added onto his hair, which now brushed the nape of his neck in a way that added years of experience to his face despite having been out of commission for only a few months. A side effect of the journey to the afterlife, perhaps. I blinked, looking away as the brief smile faded into nonexistence.

"Up there," I said, pointing to a broken down fence that I vaguely remembered blocked off an empty lot. I could just see the figures of Sakimoto's gang, and a cold spike of ice ran through my chest. Someone yelled.

"We're too late," I said, but Urameshi sped up, his longer legs outpacing me irritatingly. He reached the fence a few seconds before I did, vaulting over it with all the grace of an Olympic track runner. When I got there, I skidded to a halt, eyes flashing over the scene.

Urameshi was knelt on the ground, Eikichi safe in his arms. Kazuma and his boys looked unharmed, and were standing together in a tight group. One of the enemy gang was on the grass, sitting up and rubbing his cheek gingerly. Sakimoto himself stood back, legs looking ready to run if things turned sideways, as they certainly would. I saw one of those still standing holding my tabby by the scruff of her neck.

My vision flickered red for just a moment.

"Who the hell is this guy?" someone demanded in a worried tone.

"_Mami_!" I shouted, drawing everyone's attention. Kazuma said my name in surprise, but I ignored him. "Come here, cat!"

"What the hell?"

As soon as her yellow eyes zeroed in on me, Mami let out a fearsome yowl. Her teeth flashed in a snarl and her long claws lashed out, latching onto the thug's sleeve and flipping herself over to inflict as much damage to his skin as possible. The boy dropped her with a pained shout, but not before she drew blood. She hit the ground on all fours and made a mad dash over to me, her short little legs working overtime to propel her like a missile into my waiting arms.

I held her close to my face as she meowed frantically, drawing my brow into a powerful glare as the anger slowly trickled to near explosion levels inside me. My eyes found Sakimoto, whose face morphed into an expression of rage.

"Hey!" he said with a grimace. "Who the hell are you two?"

From his right, Urameshi began to laugh, and I could hear the true, giddy joy in his voice when he stood and turned, facing the gathered boys. His smile was chilling, eyes dark, head tilted down.

"Hi."

And that one word, said with a powerful dark promise in his tone, elicited such a fearful response from the boys there that they all shuddered, as though they had seen, well, a ghost. Urameshi was right, it seems. The announcement coming from one of them had a very profound effect.

"It's… it's that guy! It's Urameshi Yusuke!" Urameshi's smirk deepened. He knew the reaction his name inspired, and I could safely say he was very pleased with it. I couldn't say I was dissatisfied either.

"You've really come back from the dead," Kazuma exclaimed happily, and the tight compression in my chest seemed to lessen slightly.

"That's right," Urameshi said, taking a step forward. "And I'm in the mood for a relaxing throwdown!"

And then, all hell broke loose as the greaser teen charged the prey that had been holding Mami, landing a bone-crunching punch across his face. Satisfaction burned within me when I saw that, and it burned even hotter when Kazuma and the boys, motivated by Urameshi's arrival, jumped into the fray as the others began advancing on Urameshi. Their war cries resounded in the lot as their solid, angry fists descended on the enemies.

I watched the fight progress with a satisfied smirk, as one person grabbed Kazuma by the middle (something you should never do in a fight with a larger opponent), but was then kicked harshly in the face by Urameshi coming to the rescue. The teen stuffed Eikichi into my brothers hands, turning around to deliver a solid hook to another attacker's gut.

Movement caught my eye, and I looked sharply to the side to see Sakimoto making a run for it out the same way we came, through a gap in the fence.

"Urameshi!" I called out, already starting towards the fence, but Urameshi was fast approaching behind me.

"I see him- he's gonna miss all the fun," the boy joked. I let Mami down and began running, the cat and Urameshi both keeping pace behind me as we all chased down the bespectacled boy. My headstart was enough to get me close to the boy, who had likely never run so fast or so far in his life. He was weakening by the time I caught up to him. I grabbed the back of his sweater then released just as quickly. My body slowed to a stop just as he lost his balance, falling onto his face just underneath a bridge.

"What's the matter? Don't wanna talk?" Urameshi shouted gleefully. He wasn't too far behind and darted in front of the prey, blocking off his escape route. Whimpering pitifully, Sakimoto tried to scramble back towards me, but at that moment, Mami, who had come to stand beside me, gave a fierce hiss, white fangs bared. A twinge of pride struck me at the pitiful boy's startled whimper.

"You know something," Urameshi said with a strong glare. He leaned down and grabbed the squawking prey by his collar, hoisting him up to eye level before sending a strong punch to his blanched face, knocking his glasses askew. They flew off somewhere and shattered as the boy fell to the ground, dead to the world.

"I didn't wanna talk to you either, you're an embarrassment!" Urameshi finished, standing to his full height. I glared down at the body, my hands tingling and my blood rushing enthusiastically from the excitement of the chase. I'd finally caught my prey, but there was just one problem.

Urameshi Yusuke.

He stood there, staring down balefully at the prey, his nose wrinkled in disgust. As much of a punk as he is, I could not picture him approving of what I wanted to do. So how exactly do I approach this?

"And what's with the stupid horns, huh? Some sort of fashion statement?"

No sooner had the words left his lips when there was movement, catching both of our attention and drawing our shocked, mildly disgusted gazes to the boy's gaping mouth. Tiny hands thrust out from his jaw, clawing at the skin like spider legs, pulling an equally tiny body out of the cavern.

It resembled the ogres milling about in Spirit World, though significantly smaller, and horns larger in proportion to its body, like the horns of a bull. Its skin was a blue-gray color, like still-wet cement, and it moved with all the fluidity of said cement, tumbling out of Sakimoto's mouth with a high noise of discomfort.

Yellow eyes blinked furiously from underneath a matted mop of off-purple hair as it scrambled to stand up. Urameshi knelt down suddenly, squatting with an expression like a toddler observing an ant colony.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed, causing both myself and the creature to jolt. "What the hell is that thing?" The creature let out a yelp, evidently surprised by Yusuke's outburst, then before our eyes began to glow an angry yellow. I could still see a distinct form, the glow seeming to be dulled, and the creature bunched up its legs, loincloth touching the ground.

It sprung from the pavement, flitting from point to point in the air as though it were bouncing off walls, and my eyes followed it, my bloodlust temporarily put on the back burner in favor of the shocked curiosity. Urameshi's eyes tracked it as well, and with his brow creased in irritation, he reached out and grabbed the thing, effectively ceasing its pitiful efforts to disorient us.

The scream it let loose at that moment caused the hair on the back of my neck to tingle, the tiny body projecting an aura of static electricity around Urameshi's hand. The teen didn't seem phased, however, the red-hued voltage hovering harmlessly over his knuckles. The creature began to struggle in his grip as he brought it back to eye-level.

"Get your filthy hands off of me! Don't you know living humans can't see me!?" The tiny ogre growled, its voice carrying the same sort of dull reverberation as my own when I spoke with spirits. I tilted my head as it struggled more, the aura surrounding it dying out like smoke in a strong wind.

"And they certainly can't pick me up out of the air- you're breaking the rules!" It whined and I raised a brow, momentarily forgetting the prey.

"Living humans, hm? Does that mean you never actually reanimated, Urameshi?" I asked, glancing to the side where the boy looked just as befuddled as I felt.

"Wouldn't that mean you're dead too?" he queried, and the creature whipped its tiny head to stare at both of us in shock.

"What!? Both of them!? And they even speak my language!" At this point the shock was melting to fear. The thing stared at us with a trembling jaw. I almost cautioned Urameshi that it might react in the way frogs did- but a sudden pull in my gut put me on the defensive. Mami hissed, not a good sign from the normally friendly feline.

I turned quickly, shoving thoughts of the small creature to the back of my mind to stare down the newcomer, a tall individual dressed in appallingly excessive robes, the inner dress a decent shade of powder pink with the cloak a rich mauve. It fell to the person's ankles, flaring out as a result of the bulky shoulder pads that was reminiscent of last decades pop stars, or a very small linebacker.

"Urameshi," I warned, and it took only a moment for him to realize we were not alone. I felt him tense behind me, then relax again. I could understand, to an extent. The figure sparked some sense of familiarity with me, though I couldn't identify why, or from where I might know them.

"Hey, you're that fortune-teller from the alley," he exclaimed, and my eyes narrowed when the person neither replied, nor looked in any way apologetic under the massive hood. He had been followed by this person and not known it, when he could spot me tailing my brother with such ease. This person, whoever they were, was a professional.

"Yes," they finally responded, and I furrowed my brow at the soft, decidedly feminine voice. "And the two of you have proven to be exactly what we're looking for. Jiaki is very hard to find once he's entered a human. I've been tracking him for weeks, but your instincts helped you catch the criminal before you even knew the crime."

"Our… instincts?" Urameshi recoiled, looking for all intents and purposes like he had smelled something quite foul. I sped through what I knew.

The thing was called Jiaki. This woman was hunting him. This woman was also not alone, but for the time being, she was the only relevant threat. Clearly, however, we were dealing with a situation that was too far removed from normalcy to be treated as I typically would.

"What is Jiaki," I asked carefully, and the woman turned her eyes, the only visible part of her, to face me.

"He is a ruthless criminal. A demon, wanted for five previous convictions in the Spirit World."

My thoughts ran to a stop, jumbling together as they crashed and halting mid-cog turn as the last two words registered with me. Spirit World…

"He burrows into the evil portions of the human soul and makes them do his bidding." I stood up, my back ramrod straight as the woman approached. My muscles hadn't lost any of their tension, and that tickle in my gut was hinting that I should evacuate the scene, immediately.

"So then," I phrased carefully, "We've done your job for you. I think it's only decent of you to allow us to leave here without incident."

I took a step back as she raised one hand, but it was only to point at us. Urameshi tensed once more. I felt something furry brush against my legs, acutely aware of my cat winding around my ankles. If I needed to run, she was a liability. Damn.

"I'm afraid that's not how this is going to go. You see, the two of you have exactly what it takes to be Detectives of the Spirit World, and I'm afraid the appointment is mandatory."

I hummed in thought, eyelids falling to half-mast as I regarded the woman cooly.

"Is that why you brought Urameshi back, then? So that you could force him into servitude?" I asked, and she blinked in surprise, her outstretched arm faltering a bit. I shrugged. "Well, it's certainly a clever way to get what you want."

"Wait, you mean-" Urameshi moved to be beside me, staring the woman up and down. I could see the wheels in his brain turning, and his eyes lit in realization as the pieces finally clicked together in his mind, the last few months rushing back to him. I imagine the transition from death back to life left his memory a bit foggy.

"You're from Spirit World! That toddler Koenma sent you!" He pointed an accusing finger, and the woman laughed, a cheery, bubbly sound. A _familiar_, cheery, bubbly sound.

"Oh, don't get fussy! It's only me!" With that, she tugged the hood from her head, the material falling carelessly from her fingers. Magenta eyes blinked brightly back at us, stunning blue hair tumbling from an updo down to curl over her shoulders. Urameshi made a choked noise of recognition, taking a stumbling step back.

"B-Botan! It's you!" The woman grinned at both of us, though my own face remained impassive.

"There! You see, I knew you'd remember me! It's only been one day," then she turned her eyes to me, gaze glittering in an appraising way.

"It's been a bit longer for you, Hotaru. I'm surprised you were so quick to catch on, but I suppose Koenma really does have a knack for spotting talented humans!" Her grin was met with a deadpan stare. She seemed unaffected, to her credit, which only made me more suspicious.

"I see. Talented humans, whose talents can be put to use in what way, exactly?" I raised a brow when she clasped her hands before her chest, her face lit up like a paper lantern.

"Oh, I'm so happy at least one of my new projects is clever! It makes explaining things so much easier!" My teeth clenched, and an involuntary growl rumbled in my throat. Thankfully, Urameshi stepped in, his brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Cut the crap Botan, what the hell is going on? We're not in trouble, are we?" It seemed his question was to be ignored as she stooped down with sappy, adoring eyes and extended a hand to the ground. I realized Mami was no longer at my side.

"Oh my, what a cutie! She's just the prettiest isn't she!" Mami purred, butting her head affectionately against Botan's pale fingers, and an unfamiliar sensation gripped my heart. That was my cat. Mine. No one, especially not some sycophantic ghost, was supposed to be receiving her affections. It was odd, because I don't remember being jealous before. Then again, Mami was normally skittish around strangers. I felt my brow furrow to a glare as her nails scratched the animals chin, said animal visibly purring. Then, and only then, did the woman answer Urameshi's query.

"Oh no- quite the contrary! Koenma has sent me here to inform the two of you that you've been chosen as the new Spirit Detectives of Earth! Isn't that exciting?" The pure elation pouring off her in waves was stifling, and I crossed my arms to form a proverbial barrier between the two of us. Mami meowed in equal joy, and I felt a twinge in my temple.

She must have sensed my discomfort, because Mami began to wriggle around in the woman's arms, jumping down the first chance she got. She returned to me, weaving around my calves,but I ignored her, slightly sore about her sudden friendliness.

"Sounds fancy," Urameshi spoke with no small amount of suspicion, completely ignorant of my inner conflicts. "What's it mean?" Botan waved him away in her lofty fashion, swiping out to snatch Jiaki away from the teen's hand. She turned away, chatting animatedly with wild gesticulation.

"Oh, you'll know in due time. I need to get this little guy back to Spirit-"

"You'll explain now," I asserted, and the hardness in my tone making her pause, a look of confusion on her delicate features. She seemed absolutely befuddled that we wouldn't simply let it go at that.

"Hotaru, I do know you're rather clever, but it really is a lot to take in. I was going to visit you individually later to-"

"Don't patronize me," I snapped, my voice as cold as I could make it. I held back a smirk of satisfaction when she recoiled as though stung. "I understand resurrecting Urameshi to utilize him, but I was not involved in his dilemma. In short, I owe you nothing." She looked distressed, her hand clutching the tiny criminal loosening a touch.

"I promise, things will all make sense soon if you just wait for-"

"What's the problem?" Urameshi interrupted. "You've got stuff to tell us, so tell us now, or you can forget whatever stupid Spirit World bullshit you're up to." Her look fell even further into discomfort as the two of us seemed to close in on her. Perhaps she had been hoping her brief association with Urameshi would make him more inclined to side with her.

"It's just, there's sensitive information- and Koenma said-" I fabricated a sneer, placing my hands on my hips and leaning towards her menacingly.

"Koenma isn't here," I drawled slowly, and though she had at least a foot of clearance on me, I'm confident it felt to the Spirit like I was looming over her. "Whatever you need to tell us, you can say it here, now."

"That's right, Urameshi agreed. "Besides, we'd tell each other what you say anyways, so there!" I lifted a brow, but didn't question his odd statement. Solidarity was key at the moment, and our unified front seemed to have broken her down. She looked pathetic, curled in on herself and looking between the two of us with nothing short of desolation.

"Alright, alright then! Just stop bullying me!" She took a step back and straightened with a huff. she turned first to Urameshi.

"Your spirit energy has been awakened, and Koenma has decided that it would be best put to use defending the Human World from threats like Jiaki. You're the best candidate we've had in a long time, and it's not really something you can opt out of." I didn't anticipate that she could dial down the pure sunshine, but she was remarkably serious for that bit of exposition. I gave her an expectant look when she turned her eyes to me, ignoring Urameshi's complaints about 'not getting his good-old R'n'R.'

"You, Miss Kuwabara, your spirit energy is very close to awakening as well. Considering your skill set and experience with the supernatural, Koenma believes you would be better off working for Spirit World as a Spirit Detective alongside Yusuke here." She must have sensed my objection coming, because she held up a hand defensively.

"He also said that there was a possibility of helping you, with your issue? But he said you had to, ah, 'refrain from your usual activities', or you could get into some serious trouble."

I paused, my arms falling to my sides, and waited for her to explain further. She did not, her rather chilly expression not changing whatsoever. From the way she was talking and how she interacted with me, it seemed Koenma hadn't given her any context for his message. Not that I needed context, but it would be preferable that he keep as few people out of my business as possible.

Now, the message itself. It was intriguing to say the least. I was half tempted to ask to speak to Koenma again myself but… the thought of his nurse made me pause. Then after a moment, it made me wonder, because she _had_ said something about fixing me, hadn't she? Mentioned that I could recover my soul, though reason tells me that was just wishful thinking.

"We'll talk later," I told her, and she huffed in annoyance.

"That's what I was saying!" But I ignored her as she dashed out of the tunnel. Her oar materialized in her hand and once she mounted it, she was gone.

"You're just gonna let her leave, just like that?" Urameshi asked, and I disregarded his question, turning to face him with a frown.

"We'll tell each other what she says anyways?" I answered with my own question, referring to his out-of-the-blue statement earlier. He shrugged.

"I dunno, just seemed like the right thing to say. Besides, if Spirit World's gonna be ganging up on us, we could use all the backup we can get." His logic was… surprisingly sound, and I gave a hum of acknowledgement. I made to leave, but- wasn't I forgetting something?

I glanced at Urameshi again, but he only looked back at me, mildly concerned about something.

"So uh, what do we do with this guy?" Ah yes, the prey. I realized then that by all technicalities, that tiny fairy Jiaki was my true prey- and I'd let that woman escape with him. How irritating.

"Leave him. He's of no concern to me now." Urameshi shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"So then we just… wait for Botan?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Seems that way."

We stood in silence, one that he might have classified as awkward, though I was too preoccupied to worry about social protocol. Whenever the Spirit woman decided to visit, it was my hope she would bring Koenma with her. If not, I may have to make another excursion to Spirit World. I wasn't looking forward to that in the slightest.

"Ooo-kay then, see ya." Urameshi spun around, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stared after him for a moment, contemplating calling him back for an interrogation. Eventually, he faded from sight, leaving me alone. Or not so alone, really. I looked down with a glare, Mami's yellow eyes staring innocently back up at me.

"What, exactly, was that?" I asked softly, and she had the decency to look ashamed, skulking to rub against my shins with a whining mew of apology.

"You liked her?" I asked in disbelief, and Mami looked back up at me, eyes wide and head tilted. "She's the enemy." Her eyes slid to half mast and I felt something akin to embarrassment. She was right, of course. I was being dramatic.

I sighed, shaking my head. A glance to the left, and my spine straightened. The former prey still lay there, prone on its stomach. Its mouth still hung open, and it was a miracle nothing else had crawled inside. It could only be so lucky a second time. Surely, it was being controlled by the Jiaki, and wasn't at fault.

…

Of course, it was all in Its mind, now wasn't it? It had these thoughts. It would have acted against my brother with or without the demon. It was still a threat. It was still prey.

I tilted my head, regarding Mami with a soft expression.

"It would only be polite to wait for it to wake up."

* * *

_Chief Inspector Kido watched silently from behind his associates desk as a family walked through the doors of the Police Station. The father, a tall, scruffy looking hafu, lead along three children. He looked tired, and his clothes had clearly seen better days. Despite being clean, they were worn and faded, and hung loosely on his frame. The children were dressed much more neatly, in newer clothes that were a little too big, presumably so that they could grow into them, and save the family money in the long run._

_The oldest daughter, with brown hair that did not match the rest of the family, hung back a bit, her eyes searching the area. The youngest two, the red-haired son and daughter, held hands as they were tugged through the station. Inspector Kido assessed them through circular glasses as they checked in with the dispatch at the front desk. His eyes focused on the youngest, and smallest figure there._

_The youngest daughter, Hotaru Kuwabara. If she wasn't dressed properly, in her white blouse and pale blue skirt, he would have mistaken her for a boy. Her hair was chopped very short, only just reaching her chin in straight strands, but the cut was slightly uneven, and choppy in the back, probably a home job. Her expression was blank, but her eyes wandered in a purposeful manner, as though she too was casing out the place. Only she was more discreet than her sister._

_And why was he so intent upon this child? What was it about her that made him so wary? Because, this was not the first time this child had been here._

_His assistant came to collect the family shortly, and lead them to the interrogation room. The family passed him by and, for a split second, he met eyes with the youngest, and they were not the eyes of a living person. The eyes were a clear icy blue, cold and unfeeling, like glass marbles. Her expression was empty, and her gaze did not waver. She looked ahead again, and Inspector Kido released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding._

_The two older children sat towards the back of the room while Kido's assistant instructed Hotaru and her father to be seated at the table in the middle of the room._

_"Mister Kuwabara, would you like to have a lawyer present during these proceedings?" the assistant asked as he set up a simple cassette recorder for the interrogation._

_"No, I don't believe we'll be needing one," the father replied. Was it because he was confident in his child, or could he just not afford a lawyer? Either way, it was time. Inspector Kido shifted the manilla folder file on the child to his left hand before entering the room, plastering on a calming, yet serious smile._

_"Good afternoon, Mister Kuwabara Togashi, and family," he said politely with a bow. "I am Chief Inspector Kido." Kuwabara Togashi and his three children stood and bowed, but it was short, and shallow, and slightly above their perceived station. Their heads barely inclined- the barest minimum of respect. _

_"Of course, we spoke on the phone. You think my daughter is involved in some sort of crime," he said calmly, and the Inspector blinked to hide his shock. He hadn't said as much when he called the home. Had the daughter told her father something? Seeming to sense the confusion, Togashi Kuwabara laughed._

_"Don't worry, it's just us, you know? Our family just knows things like that." The disarming smile was very good, but was every bit as false as the inspectors._

_"I see," Kido said, having a seat. "Then let us begin, if that is acceptable." Togashi shrugged, but the little girl in his lap nodded, leaning forward on her elbows. Inspector Kido sat down, pressed the record button on the instrument to his left and opened the manilla folder._

_"Very well then, Miss Kuwabara, you have been summoned here as a person of interest in the murder of Kyo Ando sometime around midnight, August 23rd of this year, 1989." Saying this, he slid a photograph across the table, at which she glanced disinterestedly. "A shirt with your hair fibers and a knife with your fingerprints on it were recovered at the scene. Let there be a note in the recording that three years prior to this on May 3rd of 1986, you were considered a suspicious person in the murders of Yoshihiro Mariko and Ichigo. While you were declared an unfortunate, yet innocent bystander, this case must be used as a point of reference."_

_"Yes, of course, when I was seven," Hotaru cut in, her voice jagged though her face was like stone. Her sarcastic reply on made the inspector clench his jaw._

_That case was before his time as Chief Inspector, but he remembered it well. He had been lead investigator._

_Mariko and Ichigo Yoshihiro were a newly wed couple getting ready to leave for their honeymoon. Due to their tight funds and the amount of money that had already put into the trip, they were forced to stay in a cheap hotel until their actual vacation began, but they never made it to London. They were murdered in the parking lot in the afternoon as they were leaving to catch their flight. And who was present but the Kuwabara's, having returned from a visit to a temple and staying in the same hotel._

_Hotaru was found by their bodies, smeared in their blood and as silent as death. At first, it was thought she might have killed them, but the idea was quickly dismissed, and the real killer was brought to justice, a jealous friend of the bride who was heartbroken that she had married Ichigo instead of himself._

_Hotaru claimed she was hiding from her brother and sister among the cars and witnessed the murder. She came onto the scene and the wife was still alive. After trying to stop the blood flow, Hotaru eventually gave up and sat there, staring at the woman until she bled to death. She told the inspector that she didn't think to call the police, or run for help. It seems she hadn't changed much, because the lie in her eyes was obvious. The only difference now was that she appeared to have better control._

_"Miss Kuwabara," Kido began, taking note of her posture. Her fingers were steepled below her chin, making her look much, much older than she was. Her eyes stared blankly, but attentively, like the eyes of a dead fish. He had to fight the urge to look away. She was very unnerving, for a child._

_"Can you remember the night of August 23rd?" he asked. For a moment, the girl was silent. The pause seemed to stretch on for ages. He detected the brother and sister shifting from across the room and glanced over at them. Both of them bore unreadable expressions, but they were not pleasant._

_"Yes, very well," Hotaru finally answered, and her voice was flat, empty. Perfectly controlled in pitch and rhythm, like they were rehearsed responses._

_"Can you tell me where you were?" Kido asked, and once again, the girl paused. Her eyes flickered for a moment down to his hip, where his revolver was stored in its holster- underneath his coat. There was no way she could have seen it, it was too well concealed._

_"Will I get in trouble?" she asked evenly. Kido put on his fake smile to comfort her._

_"Not if you didn't do anything wrong," he replied. She gave a subtle nod to herself and looked down to the table deep in thought. Truthfully, Inspector Kido was grateful not to have to look into her eyes any longer, but she raised her gaze a split second later and he was forced to meet the dead-eye stare._

_"I went for a walk." And so it began. A single idea ran across her face, a challenge. She was daring him to find her in the wrong. And he would accept the challenge._

_"A walk, so very late at night?"_

_"I was upset with my sister."_

_"I see, and where did you go for this walk?"_

_"A lot of places, I don't remember exactly."_

_"Did you encounter the man in question on your walk, Kyo Ando?"_

_"Yes."_

_…_

_The brief reply stunned him. He hadn't expected her to admit to that so quickly, or at all. He had to recollect himself. He'd already had questions prepared to force the truth from her. If she was being so forthcoming… This couldn't be right._

_"I see, and what was the extent of your interaction?" Chief Inspector Kido asked. The girl suddenly looked away, her eyes filling with shame. He couldn't tell if it was a forced reaction or not, but it was very convincing._

_"I don't want to… to say," she said. Her father and siblings looked at her in concern, questions in their eyes._

_"Anything you can tell us would help, Miss," Kido said comfortingly. Inside, he shuddered. The temperature in the room had dropped suddenly, the moment she looked away. It took a while, but she requested her family be removed. Surprisingly, the only one to put up much fuss was the brother, but a look from the eldest Kuwabara silenced him. When they were gone, the girl sat up straight, staring straight back at Kido._

_"He thought I looked sad," She said, her voice strained. "He told me his name, and he said I could pet his cat, but she got away, and I went to help him catch her… but he…" she cut off, clenching her jaw. Her eyes blazed terribly hot for such an icy color. The girl should be crying, but here she was livid as the day is long, only her anger present._

_"He knocked me down, and pointed a knife at me, and told me to take off my clothes. I pushed him away and grabbed the knife." At this point, Kido was beginning to understand more and more. She may be wired differently, very differently, but she was still a little girl. He felt almost foolish for suspecting her in the first place, but still, there was this little niggle of doubt. Something about Hotaru just didn't seem… right. She wasn't anywhere close to normal, and her mannerisms were so very off._

_"So then, you killed him in self defense," Kido said calmly. While the idea of a murderous little girl sounded better as headlines, he was more willing to believe that she had done the community a favor._

_"No, I didn't kill him." He stared her down, hastily re-evaluating her. "Someone else did, they saved me. I took my overshirt and ran, and I dropped the knife when I did. I didn't see his face."_

_No, she was too calm now, too controlled. She was lying. Were she anyone else, not a child, she would have been more believable. As it was, he had nothing else on her. Her story was plausible, and made perfect sense. Now, if only she hadn't been so "forthcoming" and if the story hadn't been so seamless, he might believe her._

_"Why didn't you call the police?" But he anticipated the answer._

_"I was embarrassed," she said, though she didn't look it at all. "Ashamed. I was afraid I'd get in trouble for doing something so stupid." Her eyes twinkled for a brief moment, a silent dare._

_"I see. Is that really what happened?" Kido asked, giving her one last chance. He could not go through with a prosecution. No one would believe a young girl like her was capable of this._

_"That's it, Chief Inspector." Her voice was calm, and even. Was she mocking him? Calling him chief when she knew she had the upper hand?_

_"And you're sure you remember nothing else?" he asked again, desperate. She shook her head with a falsely sad look._

_"No sir. That's the truth."_

_Kido stood abruptly, stopping the tape and giving her a quick bow before exiting the room. Her family was standing outside, all of them with their eyes on him. The two children were holding back tears, but the Father was stoic, watching the inspector like a hawk._

_"Mister Kuwabara, I would like to request that you have your daughter attend sessions with one of our child specialists, to make sure the effects of this incident and the last do not linger. You should know that this is only a formality, and her attendance is a requirement." He did not let the father respond and spared a glance back at the girl through the one-way glass._

_Ice blue eyes met his brown ones through the obstruction and he swallowed. Would her challenges never end? He would be a coward, to a little girl. He would not press charges._

_"You are free to go."_

Click!

The playback ended there and the toddler prince of Spirit World leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh.

Hotaru never went to those sessions. She was mysteriously taken off the list of patients just a few days after her police interview. The official reasoning was monetary restraints. Unofficially? It was unclear, and records of those incidents were somewhat incomplete. Perhaps someone was scared enough to do anything they are told, even if the order comes from a little girl.

"Koenma, sir? From what you've told me, and what I've read about this girl… I just wonder if this was the best decision." Ayame stood off to the side of Koenma's office as he watched the scenes of the child's life play out. The girl was something else entirely, and it wasn't in a good way. She was cruel, no doubt about that, and manipulative.

Everything she said could be a lie, her skills having developed since that evening at the station. There was something off about her way of speaking, like she was above the world just as he was, watching events unfold, but not being really involved. Even her friendships were built on fallacies and necessity, with no heart in them at all. She was like a ghost.

But what if Mab was right? What if she wasn't completely lost? He'd witnessed instances of kindness from her where he would expect only cruelty. Though, it was possible these were superficial in nature. It was plain that she truly cared for her brother, and that cat of hers, even her father to some degree. Not to mention, it was quite odd how well she and Yusuke had gotten along, how quickly they had fallen into step with each other, so to speak. That was why he had commissioned them both, of course. Yusuke's spirit power would soon awaken, and her own would follow it, drawn out by his proximity.

To some, it might seem wrong to play matchmaker, especially when it already seemed Yusuke might have a future with Keiko. However, if Hotaru could learn to care for him, and if his growing power could help to reduce the effects of her handicap, the three worlds would certainly be safer.

"I have my reasons, Ayame. This girl can't be dealt with normally, but if my plans work out, maybe she won't have to be. Maybe she can be useful."

I hope…

* * *

_The tall, thin prey scrambled backwards, whimpering like it had earlier on that day. Its glasses were cracked and hanging off its face like its fingers, which dragged along the ground, useless and broken. I approached the prey, this time with a different mask. I set my face into a picture of serenity, the smallest of smiles playing across my lips._

_"P-please, whatever I did, I'm sorry! Don't-"_

_"Stop talking." I interrupted in a bored tone, and I continued as though I was admonishing a toddler. "You know what you did. Maybe it wasn't you, but it was all in your mind. You shouldn't have messed with my brother, Sakimoto." I knelt down, my hand guiding the green broken bottle to its midsection as my left hand took its throat. The thump-thump percussion of its pulse quickened, but it was frozen under my gaze, staring with trembling lips into my eyes, tears leaving dark trails down its face._

_"I don't know what you're talking about, please!"_

_"It may seem silly and juvenile to most, stealing a kitten," I said conversationally, its arms frozen by its sides as I toyed with the skin of its throat. It was soft, smooth, without the popping veins or any sort of masculine distinction. Pathetic really, like a woman's fleshy, slender expanse of vulnerability. "But you took it a few steps further. Not only did you try to kill her, but you made Kazuma act like your slave, holding the cat over his head like bait while he groveled and begged for your pleasure."_

_"I didn't, you're wrong!"_

_"And of course, you took my Mami as well," I continued, as though it hadn't spoken, tapping my thumb over its thrumming jugular. It flinched, its breath hitching. "That's just… well it's unforgivable."_

_Unlike knives, thick shards of glass don't slide into skin very easily, especially not through clothes. You have to force them, and you need momentum. I thrust the bottle into its gut, and wetness spattered my face as it choked on the blood. It didn't struggle nearly as much as I thought it would, or as much as I'd hoped, and Sakimoto slipped away into death quietly, meekly, bringing me little satisfaction. I stood, leaving the bottle where it was and wiping the blood from my brow._

_"You know, I'm really very tired of you humans."_

* * *

**I have a problem, and it is that I really enjoy writing murder scenes.**

**For some of you, maybe that's not a bad thing. I probably should have put that warning in the very first chapter... But I was super nervous as I was writing up my authors notes and completely neglected the trigger warnings. I could have maybe put horror as one of the tags also, but I didn't think there was enough of it. Oops? Yeah, might be an oops. Though, it is rated M, and there was some gore in the show. Maybe not in the safe-for-kids version though.I went back and added it to the summary, just in case.**

**I am very sorry if the murder scenes surprised some of you (I'm acting as though there are multiple people reading, lol) but I feel as though marking it before each scene or at the beginning of the chapter sort of takes away from the shock value and/or takes the reader out of the story and breaks the mood. **

**What I'm saying is, expect graphic murders later also, there are plenty.**

**Meow for now!**


	5. Chapter 4 Anda Half

_"Are you alright, little girl?"_  
_"Yes, I'm fine."_  
_"... You know, animals have a way of making people feel better… Oh no! Would you help me catch my cat?"_  
_"Okay."_

She watched in silence.

_"Be a good girl now, take off your pants and I won't get angry."_  
_"No! No, no p-please, I can't get them off, let me move a little!"_  
_"What a good girl… AUGH!"_

A smile curved over her lips. The first crack appeared on her skin.

_"Do you want to come home with me?"_  
_"Meow~!"_  
_That power… it felt so wonderful!_

Her body began to tear and deteriorate, fading to abstract shapes and colors and she was ripped apart from the inside. Yet she smiled with a crooked mouth and bleeding lips, excitement glittering in two shapeless figures that use to be her eyes. Her body faded to mist, phasing in and out of reality, a white light and a black shadow locked in a ferocious battle inside her convoluted mass. They wreaked havoc, slicing through the body as they fought to find the most likely outcome, and make it so. They battled so fiercely that the body was reduced to atoms.

_"Miss Kuwabara, can you remember the night of August 23rd?"  
__"Yes, very well."  
__"Can you tell me where you were?"  
__"Will I get in trouble?"  
__"Not if you didn't do anything wrong."_

Then at last they stopped, when the shadow figure plunged his blade through the heart of the light, sending him to the deepest depths of her soul. The shadow stretched, and paled until it took shape. Now, she was nothing more than a figment, her translucent, naked, grey body hanging limply as though from a noose. She had no face, no detail to her form. She simply was, and she waited to be reborn. Her essence seemed to swirl around, like smoke trapped in a glass jar after the flame from a candle has just gone out.

_"Is that really what happened?"  
__"That's it, Chief Inspector."  
__"And you're sure you remember nothing else?"  
__"No, sir. That's the truth."  
__"...You're free to go."_

A ring of radiant red fire appeared above her figure, moving down and encasing her in it's glow. As if by some illusion, the details of her body began to appear. Hair as dark red as coagulated blood, stretching down, down, down, past her feet and falling to the floor, eyes as black as a crow, and skin so pale, it was like the flesh of a corpse. Her entire body was sunken in and black shadows ringed her eyes.

Her body was draped in a black cloak that fell over her bony shoulders. Her skin stuck to her bones like a wet paper towel, leaving her every bit as skeletal as the traditional grim reaper. In this new form, Fate could only weep. Her world below was shattered with this single change. She had been deceived. Lied to. Broken, and reshaped into the image of emaciation.

The longer she watched, and cried, the thinner she became, though it didn't seem possible. Her skin turned to ash, and her eyes fell from their sockets. And for three years, she deteriorated, with only the ability to hear the world. Until, one day, she heard it.

A car crashing, a body being slammed with a sickening thud and flipping over the hood as limp as a noodle. The shocked scream of a little boy, a ball bouncing lightly on the pavement, and the echoing words of a ghost…

_"WAH! ...Okay, this is weird. Stupid weird."_

The boy… He should have kept walking! She could never have foreseen her neglected child being a hero, but it was needless… The small boy would have lived, and the troubled young man would still be alive. Cheated, deceived, twisted once again! A human caused the change once more.

And just like before, the light and the shadow beings waged war inside her body, deciding the most likely outcome of these events. This depleted form took much less time to be vaporized by the battle. But it was short, as the light scratched out the eyes of the shadow, taking over the space they shared and stretching into a new form, a new body, grey and abstract. Once more, like before, the ring of red fire fell over her body.

Yellow hair, so pale it shone like the sun, fell in waves over her shoulders and down to her waist. Eyes, brighter blue than the sky and more vibrant opened and looked upon the world for the first time in a long, long time. Her skin was as pale and soft as fresh snow, and her body was clad in armor, bright silver encompassing her entire body.

She admired this new form, the bright armor and strong limbs! It was beautiful, happier, and much, much stronger than her last form. This time, Fate would not be so easily changed! She was a happier world, a safer one, but she would endure many hardships. So she forgave the one who deceived her and changed his destiny.

_"Hey! I'm right here!"  
__"Cover this one up, and take the little boy."  
__"You think you can do whatever you want just because you have that stupid uniform on!?"_

With her new eyes, Fate looked upon the world to find the source of the disturbance. There was a boy, a ghost of a boy, with an angry soul, passionate, kind, full of life. So very different from the one who had changed her before.

He had a way about his energy like a firebird, and in that moment, Fate decided that no matter what it took, he would be reborn, stronger than before, brighter.

_"Who the hell are you?"  
__"Botan's my name! The pilot of the River Styx."_

Spirit World was involved now. This might complicate matters. They never did understand when to keep their noses out of Her business.

_"Kuwabara, no! Remember all those beatings you took? Punch that teacher, and it'll all be for nothing!"_

Such nobility without even thinking about it. The goodness in him shined through his upbringing. Yes, Fate had a new favorite.

_"Isn't anybody going to tell her she's talking to a dead body!?"_

Fate closed her eyes, feeling the sorrow and anger igniting within her from the boy. But it would not stay long. The two forces collided in a way Fate could not predict.

_"I suppose I'll just have to settle for this."  
__"Settle for me, you mean."  
__"Doesn't everyone?"_

**Ba-bump!**

_"Little Kuwabara?"  
__"Urameshi?"_

**Ba-bump! Ba-bump!**

Fate felt the way her chest clenched, felt the pull of her heart as she watched the world below, and the interactions of the two children. A thrill ran through her and she let a breathless laugh escape her plump lips. Contentment, desire, an overwhelming urge to connect. She gasped as the feeling grew stronger. The heart beat faster, faster, twice in one body, two hearts.

The girl, death living. The boy, living death. Their eyes smiled, their souls sang. And Fate felt herself solidify even further, her body becoming concrete, soft skin turning rough and calloused. It had been too long, and she cast the strings to tie them together.

"Two souls, meant to walk the same path," she whispered. So they have changed her, so she would change them. And with the last red knot, their destinies were sealed. And so it would be, that Fate declared them her favorites.

* * *

**A sort of half-chapter, I hope you enjoyed. I'll hear conjecture if you have it. I'll be posting this alongside a corresponding chapter, since it's so short and doesn't even have a song. I hope this is satisfactory!**

**Meow for now!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Behold, I've returned for yet another week. **

**There's a cat staring at me with the most judgemental eyes, but she and I both know that she'll be sleeping in my room tonight, on my pillow, with my hand on her** **head. So she can keep her judgements to herself, that bitch. I'm just kidding though, she's a sweet cat. A huge whore, but sweet.**

**Meanwhile, my roommate is making BLT's and I'm stoked! Enjoy the chapter please!**

* * *

_Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed,_  
_ When silly thoughts go through my head,_  
_ About the bugs and alphabet._  
_ And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet_  
_ That you and I will walk together again._  
_ I can tell that we are gonna be friends._  
_ Yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends. _

_\- The White Stripes- We're Going To Be Friends_

**The Beginning of the End (Of Peace and Quiet)**

If you asked me how many times a visitor has come to my home searching for me, I could list the number of times on one hand. To be the object of attention for someone outside the family was an anomaly until recently. I can honestly say, however, that no one had ever attempted to break into my home for the sole purpose of seeing me.

Yet I woke early that morning, too early in my opinion, to the feeling of being watched, and with a glance toward my balcony, I confirmed that it was indeed another human, a blur of colors with an arm outstretched, hand hovering over the handle of the sliding door.

I blinked, staring at it with what I hoped was murderous intent until it- _he_ came into focus. Both my brows raised in surprise. My gaze flicked to the clock, which read 5:27, and I felt the oddest mixture of irritation and curiosity. I got up slowly, walking with an even pace to the glass door and slid it open, any tiredness forgotten.

He was panting and sweat glistened on his brow in the faint light of the sunrise. He looked exhausted and his hands were shaking, that much I could see. I looked up into doe-brown eyes, and was caught off guard by the relief I found there. Relief to see me? It had only been two days, I can't imagine what could have gone wrong in that span of time.

"Urameshi, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

For just a moment, he resembled a child caught elbow-deep in the cookie jar, but then his eyes traveled up from my eyes to my hair. The moment the laughter began spilling out of him in peels, I slid the door shut, walking back to my bed with a huff.

"Hey hey, hold up!" He called out, banging on the glass to get my attention. Though his eyes still crinkled at the corners with mirth, he had forced down his laughter. I stalked back to the door and ripped it open, an icy expression on my face. Much as I would have preferred to ignore him, he could do nothing but wake my family with his obnoxious hollering.

"It is not yet six in the morning. What the hell could you possibly want?" He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Calm down fuzz-ball, its not like it's the middle of the night or something," he rationalized, and I deadpanned.

"It may as well be." My grumbled response seemed to amuse him as he leaned forward, an expression of faux sympathy on his face.

"Awe, seems like someone woke up on the wrong side of the iceburg, huh?"

"I will take your soul to Spirit World myself, Urameshi. What. Do. You. Want?" He made to come inside and I let him, watching as he dropped himself into my rolling chair. I noted with indifference that our roles were reversed from the last time he had been here as a ghost.

"Yeah, Spirit World, about that," he began, and I could see the humor disappearing quickly from his eyes. I tilted my head curiously.

"What did Botan say to you? Are you in trouble?" He shook his head.

"... Have they decided your revival was a mistake and they intend to rectify it?" I asked, now slightly confused, and again he shook his head. I was about to pose another question, but a wail outside my window broke through the silence of the early morning. Urameshi's head whipped around, his eyes flying wide with panic.

"Oh give me a break!" he exclaimed, and I walked to the door, peering outside.

A woman stood there, a woman in white. Her image was distorted and seemed to move sluggishly in and out of phase. Dark eyes looked up at me and a ghostly hand raised, palm up, begging for help. I raised a brow, glancing once again back at Yusuke.

"I see," I told him, and he crossed his arms, gritting his teeth.

"She just started following me, and she won't stop! I can't hit her or anything, and she won't tell me what her deal is!" His complaint sounded familiar, something my brother said long ago when his gift was first developing.

"As a spirit, you dealt with many other apparitions, correct?" I questioned, and he glared up at me.

"Yeah, as a ghost! I could talk to them. They'd listen to me 'cause I was one of them. It's like now they're speaking a whole other language! And she _won't stop screaming_," he added, covering his ears as the woman let out at ear-piercing shriek.

I looked at the window, then back at the boy. If I helped him, he would leave. Of course I could always tell him to leave… I sighed, opening the door and stepping out onto the balcony. The woman immediately stopped, reaching her hand up again.

I reached in my mind for the feeling, the "tickle feeling" as Kazuma called it. It thrummed within me, readily available in response to the woman. I focused the feeling, manipulating it with my thoughts until I could feel the hum of power in my throat.

"Wait, for one moment. We will come to you," I told her, my voice carrying a strange resonance. Her hand lowered and she blinked, the wind not touching her ghostly hair as she stared up with blank eyes. Then, slowly, a smile spread over her pale lips, and she nodded once.

I shut the door, stepping back into my room and turning to face a dumbstruck Urameshi.

"How did you do that?" he asked in awe. My mouth set into a thin line, I pulled on a jacket from my desk.

"Practice. Let's go." And so, in my blue pyjama pants and pink jacket, I padded downstairs silently, beckoning for Urameshi to follow and stay quiet. I could hear the television on the news station downstairs, which meant my father was up early, and sneaking past him would be impossible.

I began to walk normally, peeking around the corner to see my father standing at the counter, his back turned to the door as he waited for his coffee to finish brewing. I sent my companion ahead of me, making my way to the door quietly. Perhaps it was too early in the morning for him to sense us. If we were lucky, I could be out and back before-

"It's a little early for you, isn't it?" I sighed and Urameshi froze, his hand on the doorknob. He sent me a panicked look but I shook my head, walking back to the kitchen doorway.

"It is, but something has come up that can't be ignored." He hummed at my response, moving his brown ponytail over his shoulder, something he did every time before a confrontation.

"And the young man?" My face remained impassive, though I could hear Urameshi's sharp intake of breath.

"An acquaintance of mine. An unhappy spirit is following him, so I am helping him get rid of her."

For a moment, there was silence. I wasn't worried, however. I knew my father.

"Be back before the neighborhood has the chance to see you in your jammies," he cautioned with an audible grin. I gave a noncommittal grunt, turning back to the boy at the door. I ushered him out, slipping on a pair of sandals before following him out onto the front stoop. He breathed out a sigh of relief, his expression amazed.

"Holy crap, that was close!" He laughed, leaning against the door. "Does your dad just let you guys do whatever you want?" I crossed my arms, fighting a smirk.

"He trusts me. It's what happens when you're not a delinquent." He began to laugh, but froze as what I said caught up to him.

"Hey-"

"Urameshi, do you want to take care of this or not?" I interrupted, gesturing to the ghost still standing on the walkway. He seemed to finally notice her, choking on a gasp when she took a step closer, reaching out with a moan. I took a step forward, bowing deeply to the woman.

"Spirit, what are you looking for?" My voice came out in the same distorted way and the woman paused, eyes narrowing in thought. She reached up and cleared her long hair away from her ears, fingers catching on twin wounds in her earlobes. It was evident that she had been wearing earrings, but they had been forcibly removed.

"Lost… lost…" she muttered, stroking at the bloody wounds, her fingers coming away clean every time. I sighed, knowing this would probably take a while, but not willing to let this unlucky idiot deal with this on his own. It was hard enough when you know what you're doing.

"So hold up," Urameshi challenged with narrow eyes. "You mean this chick has been hounding me all night because of some stupid earrings? So if we get you your jewelry back, you'll leave me the hell alone?" The woman nodded, a faint smile stretching over her barren face. She seemed oblivious to Urameshi's consternation, as most traumatized spirits are.

"Show me," I instructed her.

Finding the earrings was easier than I thought. She took us to the home where she was murdered, which had been warded by the family so that she would not stay, and could rest in peace. However, that had been their mistake, otherwise she would have gotten them herself.

Breaking in proved to be no problem for Urameshi, which came as no surprise. We searched silently until I came to a bedroom with a couple sound asleep. Clearly, neither was a salaryman, or they would be awake by now. I pilfered the drawers and cabinets until I found the jewelry boxes in the wardrobe. We slipped back out of the house just as dawn became morning, and stood around the corner of the house in an alley. The ghost sifted through the jewelry box until she found what she was looking for.

Two ornate hanging earrings were fastened to her ears, and when the metal touched them, the wounds seemed to disappear, as though they hadn't been there to begin with. The effect was almost immediate. The color in her face bloomed and her eyes came alive. Her skin lost its sunken pallor as she returned to a state that many might mistake for living.

She left then without a word of thanks (Urameshi muttered something about being rude), walking until her image faded into the morning light. I assume she was moving on, or else allowing herself to transcend our realm of sense. We stared after her until the teen boy broke the silence with a great sigh of relief.

"Well, that's over with," he grinned at me. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. It was actually kinda fun!"

I hummed in agreement, placing a hand over my chest. The flesh had warmed there, and the thought of the woman finding peace gave me a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps I should do this more often, rather than ignoring the spirits.

"So, about the jewelry," Urameshi knelt down to pick up the box, flashing me a sly smirk. "Betcha we could get a decent price for all this." I raised a brow expectantly and his face fell into a pout. He grumbled unintelligibly as he returned to the house, slipping the jewelry box back through an open window. Meanwhile, I began my walk back home. People were starting to come out of their homes, and I was getting a few strange looks.

"Alright! Now I'm home-free!" Urameshi caught up with me easily, falling into step beside me with his arms crossed behind his head. "Say, Little Kuwabara, wanna-"

"No," I interjected before he could finish his question. He blinked, probably shocked, but recovered quickly.

"Awe c'mon, you don't even know what I was gonna say!"

"I don't need to. The answer is no."

"I'll let you go back in and get rid of the bed-head," he teased. I fought off a slight blush when I remembered I hadn't had the time to brush out my fluffy birds nest before leaving. This only made me walk faster, desperate to get out of public.

"That's going to happen regardless of your approval."

By the time we reached home, I was contemplating adding him to my list of victims. He insisted I accompany him on a day out with Yukimura, an idea I refused to even consider, and I couldn't be rid of him soon enough. Perhaps I could wake Kazuma early and instigate a fight between the two…

As luck would have it, however, I was waylaid a second time.

"You two did so very well on your case this morning!" A blue-haired girl with an abnormally cheerful smile greeted us from my balcony. I distinctly remembered her as one of the employees of Spirit World, the one who pretended to be a fortune teller, and who had dragged me to Spirit World on her oar, which was held under her arm. She was back in the pink kimono now, sitting on the railing without a care in the world. What was her name again?

"Botan!" Urameshi didn't sound exactly pleased to see her. "What do you want?"

She smiled, happy to ignore his rudeness.

"I just wanted to tell you two how well you did today! It seems your instincts were right again! You solved a case before I could even bring it to you." I blinked, one brow raising involuntarily.

"I hope this case isn't indicative of future assignments, or will we be reduced from Detectives to Social Workers?" I asked with no small amount of sarcasm. The woman, Botan, simply waved me off as though my concerns weighed no more than the air they were spoken on.

"Oh, the cases vary in difficulty, but you have to admit, you did use some good detective skills this time around." I frowned up at her, but it was Urameshi who pointed out the obvious.

"Anyone can do that stuff! Why do you need us to go steal some jewelry when you're already invisible?" Botan blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

"But that isn't my job, I'm just a ferry girl! I just take souls when they are ready, I can't be expected to go looting houses like... well like a-"

"Delinquent?" I finished for her.

"Exactly," she confirmed with a smile, but a look at the disappointment on Yusuke's face had her backpedaling so fast, I could see her trying to eat the words back up. "Wait, that's not what I-"

"We get it," Yusuke said with a false smirk. "We do the dirty grunt work and you guys sit back and stay out of the mud, safe and cozy in your offices."

She looked indignant.

"Well when you say it like that, it sounds so-"

"Accurate." Without inflection, my voice sounded much less unhappy than I was. "This hardly sounds like something to saddle two children with. Surely a massive organization like yours has some form of law enforcement at its disposal."

"Umm, well, it's not…" She was retreating more and more, the redness creeping below her collar now. I could see her body trying to implode, folding in as she tried to hide her face.

"You guys are just like everyone else," Urameshi accused with that same sneer, but there was no humor behind it. "You think you can just push us around and use us like dogs, just a couple of dumb kids. Well, joke's on you, 'cause only _one_ of us is dumb!" He jerked his thumb in his own direction, looking triumphant. "And even _I_ can see when we're being played."

I headed for the door to my home, effectively cutting Botan and her unintelligible sputtering out of the conversation.

"Wait for one moment Urameshi, I believe I will join you."

By the time I reached my room, it was like the blue-haired girl had never been there. My balcony was empty, not a hint of a ferry girl to be found. Pushing the incident to the back of my mind, I readied myself for the day. A simple yellow shirt over jeans replaced my blue pyjamas, and I carefully tamed my hair into its normal straight cut.

"Hey, it's a person," Urameshi exclaimed as I exited the house, a teasing grin on his face. I bumped his shoulder as I passed, but he only laughed and jogged to catch up with me.

"So, what's the plan for today, huh?"

I shrugged, my eyes flicking over the now busy street.

"I had no plan. I simply wanted that woman gone. Now that she is, you may go about your day normally." He took my dismissal as a joke, pulling around to walk backwards in front of me with a grin.

"Oh, _may I_?" He asked sarcastically. "Well, so long as I get the go-ahead from you."

I raised a brow when he made no indication that he would leave. He turned around to walk normally, staring up at the sky with his eyes half-lidded. I stopped at a bench just outside the park. He sat beside me with a huff. Assuming he wasn't going to be leaving any time soon, I asked him what I'd been wondering all morning.

"Why were you out so early this morning?"

He gave me a sideways look, like he hadn't been expecting me to speak. He then shrugged, lips pulling down at the corners.

"Can't sleep with a fucking ghost screaming in my ears, can I?" he responded with a humorless laugh. "Besides, I had some thinking to do."

I turned to appraise him, my head adopting a curious tilt at his admittance.

"Thinking? Care to specify?" My genuine question was met with a sudden aloofness that I couldn't quite understand. His frown deepened and he looked away, suddenly closing himself off, despite his formerly companionable attitude.

"You'll just say I'm being dumb. What do I have to think about, right?" The bitterness in his tone did not escape me, neither did it surprise me.

"Apparently you have a lot to think about," I replied, and the look of genuine confusion on his face was startling, so I explained. "Perhaps I can provide a different perspective, insight into the problem."

It was heads to tails, like flipping a coin. His posture relaxed, arms falling vulnerable to his sides and face smoothing out almost immediately. He took up my offer with more exuberance that I anticipated. I was unprepared for the energy he possessed in his words.

"Well, I just thought, it's weird that I'm up and walking again, isn't it?" My expression didn't change, but he seemed to assume where my thoughts were going. "I mean, yeah, obviously they brought me back to life, but, shouldn't my body be like, atro- artif- what's the word?"

"Atrophied?" I supplied.

"Yeah!" His enthusiasm was amusing, but the insight was interesting.

"Where did you come up with this?" I asked, and he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Keiko mentioned something about it, cause my body was just kinda lying there wasting away, but then I get back and it's almost normal, except for the seeing ghosts and shit." I hummed in understanding, quirking a brow in thought.

"Yes, that does seem a little strange. You were 'dead' for a few months, correct?" At his affirming nod, I continued. "The level of power required to heal a body with damage that extensive is nothing to laugh at. Even traditional reiki healing can't do that."

He grunted in agreement, crossing his arms as he leaned back.

"And another thing. When you asked Botan about them having people that can do the easy stuff, she got all flustered. I went up there twice and I saw a lot of really important stuff. Well hey _you_ saw it, it's like a big corporation! You can't tell me they don't have security or something up there. So why the hell do they need us down here?"

I shook my head, coming up blank. I hadn't expected this level of contemplation to come out of someone like him. It seems that I too was subject to influence by rumors and appearances. I almost had the decency to be ashamed at my own hypocrisy. As it was, I settled for simply taking him seriously, something he found to be quite unusual. However, he was not unappreciative.

"It may be something like the difference between a police officer and a security guard," I theorized. "Perhaps they don't want their more qualified individuals wasting time on small issues when they could be better put to use dealing with crises."

"But it's the _Spirit World_," Urameshi said with a frown. "How often can they have a big emergency when they're ghosts?" I tilted my head.

"That ghost this morning seemed to be giving _you_ trouble, and she wasn't even to the level of competency that Botan and Koenma are. If a ghost of her power can cause this much trouble, just imagine what malevolent spirits with Botan's ability could do." He blanched slightly, looking away with a gulp.

"Good… point." Then he sighed, grumbling to himself. "This whole thing is stupid. I didn't agree to any of this!"

He didn't, maybe. I, on the other hand…

_"Hotaru! I do hope you're in a better mood now." I gave her a deadpan stare._

_"Not remotely. Where is Koenma?"_

_Botan looked befuddled, and I wondered if she was intentionally annoying or if she truly was as dense as she appeared._

_"He's in Spirit World of course, but he already gave me his message for you." She seemed genuinely confused, a trait that may make her more sympathetic if I was in any mood to be considerate._

_"Take me there." Her brow furrowed and her mouth twitched down at the corners._

_"I brought you there the first time on special orders from Koenma. You can't just pop up whenever you please- we have to adhere to regulation."_

_… I can't touch her, or I would break her fingers and see if that would make her more willing to comply. I could threaten her I suppose, but I still can't actually do anything to harm her._

_"Koenma requires that I cease my activities," I recalled, and she nodded. "Unless I meet with him and come to an agreement now, he can rest assured I'm going to continue doing what I do."_

_To make a long story short, she did finally acquiesce, and I did meet with Koenma, sans-nurse. I outright told him that I had no desire to work for the Spirit World if all I would be doing is helping stray ghosts. He listened, and he said that was a reasonable response._

_"But Hotaru, consider what we are offering you," he pleaded from behind his desk. His hands were steepled under his chin, hie eyes brimming with confidence. "Simply by being close to another psychic human and strengthening your own abilities, you'll have a chance at a normal life. You may even be able to feel something for your brother. Not to mention, the work you do will redeem you in the eyes of Spirit World from your past sins."_

_I listened. I told him I would consider it. He let me go with a final thought._

_"The more powerful you become, the less dangerous you are to us, to yourself, and to your family. You could be a hero, Hotaru."_

"They must have been scouting," I asserted, coming back to the present. "This doesn't seem like a job that was just suddenly put together. We are filling a position that has been vacated. We must have fit the criteria, or else they were incredibly desperate."

I did not care to be a hero. I don't need people to shower me with praise or congratulate me. I've worked in the shadows for long enough that it's become comfortable, familiar. I've done too much to ever even consider being a hero.

A hero wouldn't consider alleviating their brother's sadness by killing him.

"You mean there was someone who did this before us?" Urameshi's eyes were wide, and I could practically see the light bulb flickering on.

"It's likely," I said, and he looked alarmed.

"So then what happened to them? Did they retire or die or something? Why can't they tell us what the hell is going on?!" All valid questions, I noted, but I doubted Spirit World would be very forthcoming with their answers.

We parted somewhat amicably no more than an hour later, an unspoken alliance having been forged in the flames of conspiracy. Whatever was coming after us, neither of us would have to face it alone.

* * *

My desk was completely cleared when I left for school the next school morning, yet by the time I had returned, there was a manilla file folder there, waiting expectantly.

It was from Spirit World. I knew before I'd even made it past the threshold of my bedroom. I stopped in the doorway, staring down the file as though it may come alive and begin to dictate our first (technically second) assignment. It seemed Botan had yet to recover from our altercation several days ago.

I set down my bag, slowly walking to the desk. The moment of truth, as they say. To take the file, or not to take the file.

Time was short. It was already past three, and Thursday. Surely this could wait until the weekend. I briefly wondered if it was another restless spirit, or potentially a small Demon like Jiaki…

Well, there is only one way to satisfy curiosity. I picked up the file.

* * *

Though I was quite sure I had arrived at Urameshi's home, it was Yukimura who opened the door to the condominium, her surprise evident on her petite face.

"Why are you looking for Yusuke?" The girl seemed wary, despite our conversation mere weeks ago. I couldn't blame her, but this was no time for sensitivity.

"I've received our latest assignment, and I require Urameshi's expertise." The look she gave me was reminiscent of my own face, with a disbelieving brow raised to combat my clearly fictitious statement.

"You need Yusuke for school work?" She asked, and I raised a brow, reconsidering her supposed intelligence. "But, he goes back tomorrow, he hasn't been given any assignments yet."

"Of course not, it's from Spirit-"

"Little Kuwabara!" The aforementioned teen pushed past the girl, eyes wide and pleading while his voice was exaggeratedly loud with a little too much enthusiasm. "Hey! I thought you might come by!"

I was roughly pushed aside and dragged along down the hallway as the boy made a hasty retreat, pulling me along with him as he hopped over the floor, struggling to get his other shoe on.

"We've got work to do now, see ya later Keiko!" I heard her shouting after us, just a few words away from profanity. However she did not follow, despite her protests. Urameshi kept up his unrelenting pace until we had reached the bottom of the apartment complex. Only then did he release my wrist. I straightened my shirt with a huff while he checked our path, ensuring

"Look, I haven't told Keiko any of this stuff yet, so just keep it under wraps for now, huh?" he explained with a frown, and I shrugged apathetically. It wasn't my concern.

"Our next case. I think you might like this one." I thrust the file under his nose, his expression going cross-eyed trying to keep it in sight. His look of confusion quickly morphed into one of annoyance as he snatched the file away from me.

"What do these assholes want now, huh? Didn't we _just_ have that talk?" His complaints died on his tongue as he read the case summary, a look akin to wonder in his eyes. He frowned, contradicting my expectations. Where I had anticipated joy at receiving a case that took us to an arcade, I found sudden venom.

"So some demon or whatever is messing with arcade games, huh?"

"That appears to be the case," I replied. "He uses his own power to form an addiction in the ones who play, and sucks out their life energy through their eyes."

He shuddered, stuffing the folder under his arm and walking off in the opposite direction we had gone before.

"Jeez, talk about that whole 'eyes being the windows of your soul' thing, right?" I trotted after him, just barely keeping pace with his long strides.

"Indeed. How do you want to proceed?" He gave me a look, one brow quirked in disbelief.

"You're asking me?" I nodded.

"This is your area of expertise. The game setting I mean, it isn't something I know much about, so I wouldn't know where to begin trying to make my own plans. You are, as the saying goes, on point." The look I received was something akin to appreciation, but it was far too superior.

"Well then, in that case, you got any cash on you?" I nodded, brow raised curiously. "How much?"

"2,034 yen," I responded. He looked upset, and I tilted my head curiously.

"Awe man, guess we're not gonna get dinner, unless you feel like fast food." He cackled at my wrinkled nose. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

In no time at all, we arrived at our destination. It was slightly run down, the paint having faded long ago to a sickly yellow puke color. The cracks in the sidewalk had weeds growing inside, clearly left unattended in favor of the chain coffee shop next door. Approaching the place, I could smell coffee grinds, the dumpster in the alley, and the sweat-laden children furiously mashing buttons and toggling joysticks inside. But the way Urameshi talked about this place, you'd think he was imagining a grand cathedral of entertainment.

"This place is always open, no matter what," the boy explained, looking at the dusty windows with a smile. I gave the arcade a deadpan stare.

"This place should be _condemned_," I asserted, and he glared at me, patting the side of the building.

"It's okay, she's just a bitch," he said quietly to the wall, shooting me a dark look. I rolled my eyes with a groan of exasperation, walking past him and pushing open the doors. Immediately, I was greeted with a blast of heat, which did not mix well with the smells of the room. Both water fountains were out of order, and there was only one bathroom.

"Are we sure the victims didn't simply succumb to heatstroke?" I asked Urameshi sarcastically as he entered behind me. Even he looked mildly uncomfortable.

"Well… it's not quite like I remember," he admitted. "But it is what it is."

A few of the older teens there looked up for just a moment before returning to their games (or leaving with looks akin to terror as they beheld Urameshi, alive and in the flesh), but the majority of them, younger children and pre-teens, were locked onto the screens with a single-mindedness that I could never hope to achieve. It smelled of body odor, the stale air carrying just a hint of salted snacks. Various theme songs filled the room, accompanied by the furious mashing of buttons and beeping of game controls. Every game had its own unique display and jingle, but all of them were indistinguishable in the cacophony. Urameshi, as I suggested, took charge immediately.

"Alright, you take the far side of the wall, I'll start here, and we'll work our way down." I raised a brow curiously.

"Doing what, exactly?" He grinned, the look making me suspicious.

"Playing! What else?" I rolled my eyes.

"And here I thought you had a fool-proof strategy that would have us out of here in ten minutes. How wrong I was," I said with dry sarcasm. He gave me a smug look, eyes sparkling with a secret that he was obviously desperate to share.

"Well, maybe not ten minutes, but I figure the best way to figure out which game he's in is to play all of them, and if one of us starts feeling funny, we let the other know." I nodded, the plan sounding fairly solid to me.

"Alright, so then how do we extract him from the game?" I asked. "It's possible he's small, like Jiaki, and therefore can be hiding in places we can't see or reach." Urameshi frowned.

"That's a good question… we'll just have to wing it," he said with a smile, and I involuntarily huffed, stalking off. But really, I didn't have a better idea. I didn't know much about demons to begin with. You would think an organization as vast and omnipotent as Spirit World would be able to give us such pertinent information.

I came to the back wall and sighed, resigning myself to an afternoon full of… games. Oh joy.

The first large box I came to was a shooting game, with plastic rifle-shaped controllers that seemed to operate on the simple basis of point and click. I inserted one of the coins we had gotten from exchanging my cash and the screen blinked to life, beeping and whooping with joy. I reached for one of the rifles, but flinched upon seeing some sort of sticky residue.

"Children…" I muttered to myself, looking around for perhaps a bottle of hand sanitizer or wet wipes, but I was forced to take some wet paper towels from the questionably cleaned restroom. They did not do nearly as good a job as I'd hoped, but at the very least, they were cleaner than before. Still, I kept the paper towels as a barrier between my skin and the false weapons.

After inputting my initials on the screen, I selected a map and targets and began the game. The guns were slightly out of sync with the screen, so I had to compensate, aiming a touch to the left of the normal target range. It was painfully simplistic. After a minute or so of mindless blasting, it became evident that this was not the game we were looking for.

I moved on down the line. A few more were shooting games of various themes, some based off of movies I'd seen in passing. Kazuma and his friends might like the Terminator game, I think. The Goblin City game, an amalgamation of various puzzle and strategy games, did interest me, I will admit. To move past certain levels, you would need to complete a randomized sequence of puzzle games. It was challenging, and I wondered if there was perhaps a version that could be played from home.

I played that one for approximately ten minutes, glancing down the line of games where I knew Urameshi to be. He had moved three games in the time it had taken me to assess seven, and I raised a brow, irritation heating my face.

I closed my eyes.

I breathed out, shaking my head in resignation. He was a teenage boy, after all.

Another few games had me trying my hand at Pac Man. The yellow maw opened and closed successively as it flew down the dark pathways of the game. I steered the character to avoid the colorful ghosts that chased it, dutifully gathering the cherries as I went. The game progressed, steadily growing more difficult as the ghosts became faster, and their patterns began to switch up.

I came quite close to being caught when they began to switch their patterns more quickly, suddenly turning when I was directly behind them. My fingers began to grow numb with how tightly I was gripping the controller, but the numbers continuing to rise in the corner of the screen only encouraged my rapid course corrections as I made my way through the maze.

I collected small dots, the larger, ghost-slowing dots being dispersed like candies through the map rather than at the four corners as advertised on the side of the game. I didn't mind, it simply made the ghosts easier to avoid, and when they turned blue, they were no longer a threat.

It was a simple game, but when all dots were collected and the next round began, I wasn't at all inclined to move on. My score was coming very close to topping the chart. At the very least, I could place myself squarely in the number one spot before moving on.

"Hey, you alright?" The voice interrupted my concentration, and the character on the screen jolted when I did, resulting in my losing a life. I re-spawned back that the beginning.

"I'm busy," I growled at the person. The game began anew. I directed the character towards the first of the larger dots.

"Hey!" A hand fell onto my shoulder and I froze, watching the yellow mouth blink out of existence once again.

…

It took me a moment too long to understand that I was being touched, and just another moment to remember that I did not like to be touched. My hand jolted, flying to the offending appendage and twisting as I rose, spinning around to face the person behind me. They let out a yelp, bending over slightly to accommodate for the position of their hand.

"Urameshi, what are you doing," I asked him calmly. Finding his doe-brown eyes staring back in surprise alleviated my anger immediately.

He wasn't paying attention to me, grimacing at my grip on his hand. I released him and he jerked away, rubbing at a red spot on his palm with a pout.

"Jeez, chill out crazy! Why didn't you answer me?" I blinked, tilting my head.

"I didn't hear you," I told him blankly, and he frowned, baring his teeth in annoyance.

"Well what do you want me to do, scream at you?" He asked rather loudly, and I leaned back a touch.

"You don't seem to have a problem with it now," I pointed out. He growled, crossing his arms in what was likely meant to be a menacing way.

"Don't get smart with me, I was plenty loud before too. You were completely zoned out!" I hummed in thought, glancing back down to where my other hand still rested on the controller. Odd that I hadn't released it yet, almost like something inside me was forcing me to hold on.

"Take me through what transpired before you… got my attention." His brows loosened a touch, smoothing his severe features as he recounted his perspective.

"Okay, well I got off the Tetris game and I saw you over here on Pac Man. It wasn't too weird. I mean, you were on Goblin City for a while too. But then you were still there a couple games later, so I said something to you, and you didn't even look at me. Then I came over and, well, you know…" he trailed off and I nodded.

"I see." I watched him, waiting for him to come to the conclusion on his own. The longer he stared at the machine, the faster I could see his brain working, until he smirked, giving me a side-eyed glance. He picked it up a little slower than I had hoped, but at the very least, it was a comfort to know he could eventually come to that point.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking," he asserted with a gleam in his eyes. I nodded, reciprocating the look with a praising smile.

"This is our game." I looked down, peeling my hand away from the controller with a grimace of disgust. My hand was almost numb, and slick with sweat. The moment I moved away, I felt a wave of tiredness hit me, like I'd just come down from the best caffeine high of my life. I blinked several times in quick succession to dispel the blurriness in my vision, breathing a sigh as my body seemed to settle.

"So how do we do this?" He directed the question to me. My jaw tightened as I considered our options, none of which were to terribly convenient for me.

I stood, motioning for him to follow, and lead him a short distance away from the machine. There was no telling if the demon within could hear us or not, but to be on the safe side, I kept my voice at a whisper.

"The demon has drained me considerably, however it seems to work rather slowly, considering how long I was there. If one of us continues to play the game, the other can figure out a way to open the machine without him noticing." Urameshi looked thoughtfully back at the metal box, a brow raised in skepticism.

"Yeah, but what if he can switch machines anytime he wants, like you said? Maybe he goes through the wires or something." I sighed, frowning slightly.

"Would it be too terrible if we simply burnt the entire place to the ground?" I rolled my eyes at his look of horror. "Then what do you suggest?"

…

As it happens, his suggestion was exactly as barbaric as I would expect from him. However, that's not to say it was a bad idea. It was simply… a little less subtle than anything I may have had in mind.

He left me there in the defunct arcade for a total of three minutes, during which time I took the liberty of completely disconnecting the machine from the wall. Unsurprisingly, it remained operational, further proof that it was possessed. Yusuke reappeared at the door in surprisingly short time with two metal baseball bats. There wasn't a school or a pitch for at least another mile, making me curious as to where exactly he procured these from. He handed one to me, a dent at the very tip, and took the other back to the machine, the weapon slung over his shoulder like a neanderthal's club.

The sight of him entering the building with a bat in each notorious hand had an immediate effect on the remaining youths in the arcade. They scrambled for the exits, only a few stragglers staying behind to witness what would unfold.

"_Swing, batter batter!_"

His cry in somewhat coherent English was followed by a high whoosh of air, then a loud bang as metal collided with metal. The bat left a dent the size of his head in the machine, and he pulled back, looking far too satisfied.

From behind me, I heard outraged gasps from the remaining teens, one of them cautioning another not to intervene, to run and grab the "manager".

"Is this really your best idea?" I wondered aloud as I meandered over to him, and he grimaced, taking another swing to the bottom of the machine.

"It's a shame, but this is all I got." I sighed.

"Wonderful." I took a batters stance and got a tight grip on the bat, giving him a look of warning. "We had better be finished before the local authority arrives." He looked unperturbed, dealing yet another loud strike.

"The cops aren't exactly quick when calls come in from around here, and the manager's a wuss. We're totally fine!" I wasn't quite convinced, but he seemed confident enough. I sighed once again, taking my first swing at the sputtering machine from the opposite side.

The yellow box bounced, and Urameshi yelped in alarm when it threatened to fall over onto him. The screen stuttered, music droning on, fading in and out with the image. Static clawed across the display.

"_Watch it_," my companion threatened, though it lost some of its menace due to his frightful tone. "Stronger than you look, huh?"

I shrugged, rearing back for another blow.

This time, I actually heard electrical popping and fizzing. My lips twitched. Urameshi gave a short bark of laughter as he connected with the screen. The images sparked out for good, tiny shards of broken glass peppering me. I closed my eyes and lifted an arm to shield my face, feeling the smallest of pinpricks.

The shattered crater left the screen completely black, and as I looked up, I caught my reflection, and the tiny, pleased smile that lay carved over my lips.

And it was real.

Again and again the two of us struck the machine, resounding bangs and clangs echoing amid the various songs each game played. I could feel an inexplicable warmth and tightness in my chest, akin to The Rush, but not incurring the same sadistic pleasure. This was more subdued, but no less enjoyable. The two of us traded looks, and I motioned for him to step back.

I swung the bat widely with a short giggle, aiming for the very top of the yellow piece of scrap metal. My bat had already taken substantial damage, but that didn't stop it from completely uprooting the machine. Pac Man lurched, falling over onto its side with the top half nearly bent in two.

I stared down at my work, satisfaction ripping its way into my normally placid heart. My chest heaved from the effort, my blood pumping with abandon, rushing loudly in my ears. I could call this sensation the Pseudo-Rush, assuming it happens often enough for me to deem naming it necessary. It was equally liberating as it was irritating, the fact that I had so recklessly and willingly destroyed public property. This was not the way to maintain a low profile. Somehow though, I couldn't find it in myself to offer any scolding words to chastise my deviations.

I sensed Urameshi about to speak, a question shaping his lips, but before either of us could get so much as a word out-

_"Filthy human brats!"_

A voice echoed within the demolished game, followed by a scuttling noise like mice in a wall. A series of soft, audibly frustrated bangs followed, then a small panel on the back of the machine swung open forcefully. I stared, my gaze intent as we laid eyes on the largest reptile this side of Japan. Its scales were a dull orange with a spattering of purple speckles on the pale belly. It was bipedal, with three toed hands and feet, and a rather long neck that twisted and contorted as it squeezed out from between wires and circuits.

It toppled in an inelegant fashion over the edge of the gaping mouth leading into the machine, smoke pouring from the opening. The thing waved its hand in front of its elongated snout to fan the smoke, glaring around and blinking rapidly.

I didn't give it time to realize it was not as invisible as it thought, stepping around the box deftly and scooping it up in one hand. It made a noise like a shriek and a hiss in one, tiny claws scraping the skin of my fingers like a kitten, but more dull. It kicked, writhed, cursed, even whipped its head around like a snake to bite at the exposed skin of my fingers, but to no avail. If anything, all that came of it was a curious tingling sensation in my flesh, and the smallest of imprints from its fangs.

"Well well," Urameshi grinned, and the creature's eyes grew impossibly wide, still blinking rapidly and rubbing at its eyelids to adjust to the light. "That was easier than I thought."

"And more enjoyable," I added, still not quite over the unexpected Pseudo-Rush. The small demon looked between the two of us in alarm, not at all unlike the first one we had encountered.

"You- you did that on _purpose_! You lousy brats! You're not supposed to see me! What makes you think-" Urameshi waved his hand dismissively, talking over the demon loudly.

"Yeah yeah, we heard it all last time Jiaki!" The demon looked affronted, rearing back its massive head in shock.

"That is not my name!" It didn't even look similar. Then its eyes turned to me, pleading. "You've got the wrong guy! I swear, I'm not the one you're looking for!"

"Close enough," the boy said with a shrug. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking awfully proud of his achievement. I had to admit (though not to his face of course) that his plan was certainly executed much more smoothly than I anticipated, ending in a very surprising success. It was better than my original, more subtle idea. Perhaps there was a thing or two to be learned from his brash recklessness.

However, his face soon fell into one of confusion.

"Umm, so, now what?" It took me just a moment, but I understood eventually where his thoughts had led him. How exactly were we supposed to contact Botan to let her know we had apprehended the criminal? What were we supposed to do to contain him until she arrived? Just hold him in my hand?

"Now what, indeed."

* * *

**Could potentially be seen as an unoriginal bit of filler and padding, I know. I don't think it matters as much as the bonding moment I wanted to get. I wanted them to work a few cases together that could easily have happened in the between-time before the big cases. What did you think, anyways? Good case, bad case? Good solutions? In character?**

**I played around a bit with Yusuke this chapter, just a little. Not that he's lacking in development, but there were certain situations I had to improvise, so I pulled from my own interactions with my father. Let me know what y'all think!**

**Meow for now!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Welcome back to my Ted Talk/Murder Fest.**

**Wait... is- is that not what we're doing here? My bad!**

**Here we are, the official chapter 6! This took way longer than it should have to actually get posted, but I spent an actual hour and a half trying to think of the perfect words for a later scene while my friends youtube videos blared quite distressingly in the background. But, she did make spaghetti and meatballs from scratch, bless her Italian heart! So all is forgiven!**

**Also, I had a cat who would not leave me alone, he just wanted some loves. I gave him his loves.**

**On with the "sho!"**

* * *

_Oh, Oh, We're on a mission._  
_Nothing- **nothing** can stand in our way._  
_Oh, don't need permission._  
_We're gonna rise up, and we'll be the change._  
_Hear us on the stereo._  
_We're about to lose control._  
_Everybody knows, oh,_  
_This is where we let go._

_\- Welcome to the Show - Britt Nicole_

**Nothing Super about the Supernatural  
**

I shouldn't have been surprised when the whispers started up in the hallways. I suppose I'd forgotten that people didn't know much about Urameshi's return, but when my personal experience did not agree with the claims that they had seen a ghost, I figured the zombie must have made one of his rare appearances at school. Yukimura _had_ said he was meant to start today. I stopped by a window on a floor far above the courtyard on a whim, looking down to find the people below, students and teachers alike, staring in open shock and fear as none other than Urameshi Yusuke strolled through the schoolyard gates. Demure Yukimura by his side didn't seem to lessen the effect.

All he did was look their way and they scurried to the other end of the yard, squeaking and twitching their noses in fright like the rodents they were.

"Did you hear the news?" a voice beside me asked. Blue eyes peeking over the cover of a book told me it was Hitomi who was standing to my right, staring out the window at Urameshi. Her wide eyes conveyed as much wonder as they did apprehension.

"I'd like to think everyone has heard by now," I commented drily, and she hummed in agreement, eyebrow rising in amusement.

"Hey look, there's your brother," she said in a banal tone, but I had already seen him. He and Urameshi exchanged a few words before Kazuma jumped back dramatically, pointing at Urameshi's face and shouting. How could I tell he was shouting? Simply because Kazuma always looks a certain way when shouting. His shoulders were drawn in but his back was straight, and his chin was held high as it could go. His legs were slightly crouched, and his mouth opened just a bit wider than usual. I'm quite sure I could make out a threat to "send you back to ghost-land myself Urameshi!"

"Dolt," I sighed, but inside, I was relieved. Urameshi was back, which meant there was no possibility of my losing Kazuma again.

"Some people were saying Yukimura-Senpai brought him back to life herself," Hitomi commented, breaking me out of my thoughts. "They said she probably had to make a deal with demons or something." I felt a genuine, secretive smile flicker across my face, though it was brief. The idea was so far from the truth, yet not quite as far as most might think. Still, it was an amusing image of Yukimura standing in a pentagram wearing dark robes and chanting from a book over Urameshi's corpse.

"I doubt that," I replied. "It's more likely he was never really dead, and the medical examiners simply missed his heartbeat." That was the story Shizuru had helped the girl come up with. I'd overheard as much before going to bed the previous night.

"Well, I heard she ran into a fire to save him, and that's why she got her haircut!" Asako had joined our conversation, coming up from my other side with bright brown eyes. This part of the story, at least, was true.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Hitomi replied, the tall girl taking a step back from the window. She didn't look up from her book even when Asako pranced over, hanging onto her shoulders to see the contents of said pages. "Yukimura is nice enough, I'm sure she didn't think twice about going in there."

"Nice has nothing to do with it,"Asako stated in a contradictory way, and both Hitomi and I glanced her way. "It's a little thing called bravery, and I hear she's got it in spades."

I found myself assessing Yukimura once again, allowing myself to put more thought into her dainty person. Indeed, it took more than kindness and affection to make one risk certain death. It _would_ have been certain death had Urameshi not intervened, and she had to have known that going in. That sort of commitment to a person was valuable, and I filed that facet of her persona under 'further consideration.'

Kazuma was dragged away by his friends while he waved his fists at Urameshi, whose smile was genuine, a far cry from the desolate look I'd seen previously. _It's a better look for him_, I thought, turning from the window and making my way to class. The two girls followed after a moment, hurrying to catch up.

* * *

While I had expected the news of Urameshi's revival to consume the attentions of the students, I hadn't counted on it being such a distraction to the teachers, some of whom were content to waste class gossiping with each other about the recently deceased. As everyone chatted around me, I sat in silence and skimmed absently through the class material. Many rumors of speculation were thrown about, some of them quite honestly ridiculous, and even more so than the idea of Yukimura being a necromancer. However, the actual story interested me more.

I was grateful for the end of the first half of the day, stealing myself away from Asako and Hitomi before they could sequester me to join them for lunch. I elected to skip the meal altogether, not feeling entirely hungry, and headed out to the side of the school where the vents would filter the air into and out of the school. It was loud, which meant no one came there to socialize. This usually made it the perfect spot to hide away when I was feeling particularly antisocial.

I didn't expect to see Urameshi there, back against the wall between two fans. He was fiddling with what looked to be a cheap toy spyglass, the kind you find in cereal boxes, but there was an odd feeling when I looked at it that told me he hadn't gotten it from a store. My footsteps were masked by the sound of the fans, so I called out when I was only a few paces away.

"Urameshi, what are you doing here?" He startled at my voice and jumped to his feet, shoving the spyglass into the pocket of his jumpsuit and looking around in alarm. His eyes landed on me and he relaxed, but the suspicious behavior did not escape my notice.

"Oh, it's just you," he said, then frowned. "Make some more noise why don't you, huh? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" My lip twitched, and I inclined my head a touch.

"I apologize. It wouldn't be very civil of me to inspire yet another early death." I paused. "You didn't answer my question. You aren't usually here." _I would know, as I frequent the location._

He shrugged, said: "Can't go to the roof or Keiko would find me." Ah. That was a reasonable answer. I hesitated for a moment as he returned to his relaxed position, not entirely sure what to do now. I'd gone away to escape people, though with just him here, it shouldn't be too terrible. His company was tolerable, pleasant even at times. Though, I'd only met him in a few instances.

"You gonna sit down or just keep standin' there like a dumbass?" His clear invitation made my decision for me, and I walked the few paces over to join him on the concrete. My skirt flared around my thighs and I crossed my legs, leaning back beside him, my head resting back on the wall. The roar of the fans were almost too loud for us to really hear each other, but he didn't seem to mind. I found the white noise somewhat soothing.

"What are _you_ doing up here anyways?" he asked. I shrugged, giving him a sideways glance.

"My classmates wouldn't stop talking about some delinquent who came back from the dead to murder us all in our sleep. I wanted some peace and quiet, but I'll just have to settle for this." He smirked.

"Settle for me you mean." I paused, my lips twitching once more at the sense of deja vous.

"Doesn't everyone?" He grinned then, and I wondered who had initiated that reprise of our first conversation. Did I purposely use the phrase, or had he simply responded in a way he thought might make me open up? As it was, we shared a smile, and it was real.

"What was that you had before I came up here?" I asked, cocking a brow. "Contraband?"

His smile deflated and he took the spyglass out of his pocket, gesturing for me to take it.

"Botan gave it to me last night," he said. "She says it's a Psychic Spyglass or something. Basically means if you look through it, you can see through walls and clothes and stuff."

Experimentally, I held the spyglass up to my eye and peeked through, directing it at the floor upon which we took our school respite. At first, nothing happened, but then the image of the concrete seemed to phase out until I could see electrical and plumbing lines. Then, after a moment, that changed as well, and I could see a classroom full of students, talking among themselves. I took the glass away when their clothes began to become invisible.

"That certainly would have been handy when we were dealing with that demon in the arcade," I said with a tight frown. "We could have just looked inside the games to see where he was instead of wasting all that time playing." Urameshi grinned cheekily and nudged my ribs.

"You're just sore 'cause you couldn't play Pac Man anymore," he jabbed, and I scoffed, handing him back his tool.

"Oh please," I waved him off, then as he chortled, I pulled something from my own pocket and held it out to him to hold. "Botan came to me last night as well. She gave me this."

_A tap on the glass door roused me from my deep sleep, and I sat up groggily, looking slowly towards the balcony. My vision was blurry, but I could make out a splotch of blue and pink and had a fair guess as to who it was. I was tempted to ignore her but she tapped again, looking inside._

_I stood without a sound and trudged over to the sliding glass door, my feet dragging audibly. When the door opened, she floated backwards on her oar._

_"Oh my…" I was aware that she was looking at my hair. I'd long since given up on trying to find a way for it to stay down. At least she didn't laugh like Urameshi had…_

_"What." My voice was low and scratchy. It wasn't so much that I was tired out from anything in particular. She had simply woken me from my recurring dream- the would-be murder of Sakimoto._

_I hadn't the time to wait around for him to wake up. Kazuma had found me shortly after we apprehended him and dragged me back home for a night of celebration at the return of not only our dear pets, but the ghost boy Urameshi. That night, I had gone to bed and dreamed exactly the scenario I'd been planning as I watched his unconscious form. He met his demise at the end of a broken bottle, just as Eikichi and Mami might have had we not gotten there in time. Botan's arrival had interrupted my dream-self's monologue. I got the feeling I was telling myself to act out this fantasy. Alas, it no longer held much interest to me._

_The ferry girl ignored my obvious distaste and put on a cheery smile._

_"Well, I just got something for you and Yusuke from Koenma, and I was so eager to give it to you, I couldn't wait!" She reached into her robe and pulled out a bulky pink pen and a small booklet, handing it to me. It took me a moment to register that I was supposed to take it, and I grasped it after a long pause, turning it over in my hand. My brain could only process one thought at that time._

_So smooth…_

_"This is a curse pen! Here are the instructions, along with some recommended beginners curses! Basically, anything you mark with a curse in these runes will gain the quality you write out. For example, if you wanted to slow someone down, you would write-" I slammed the door shut in her bubbly face and turned away. I set the objects down on my desk and walked until my knees hit the bed frame, then fell forward and landed on the pillows. I didn't bother adjusting my position, and soon I was out again._

Naturally, I left out the details of my fantasy when I told him how I came by my little pen. He seemed interested, looking at the utensil from all angles.

"Have you tried it out yet?" he wondered and I shook my head.

"No, I haven't really bothered with it. I suppose we could try it now if you would like," I offered as I checked my pockets for something to write on, finding them empty. "Do you have any spare paper on you?" I asked.

Urameshi patted himself down, hands thumping until there was the tell-tale crinkling of stiff, plasticy paper. He produced a crumpled receipt from a pocket, holding it up for inspection.

"Will that work?" he asked, and I took it.

"It should." The book was in the other pocket of my skirt, and I procured it. I flipped through the manual briefly, noting the ancient Celtic rune language, until I spotted a word that should produce an effect. I looked over the rune combinations and copied them as best as I could onto the back of the receipt. When I had finished, I leaned back, looking at the word "burn" written in black in a language Urameshi could not read. We both stared down at it for a moment as nothing happened.

I could sense the complaint coming before he opened his mouth, but then-

The paper burst into flames so suddenly, I jolted, and Urameshi let out a shrill exclamation of some expletive. The flame was a foot or so high for a few seconds, but the paper was small, and the fire died shortly, leaving nothing in its wake, not even ash.

"Neat," Urameshi said after a moment, looking enviously at my pen. "Why couldn't I get something cool like that? Instead I got some stupid x-ray vision." He pouted and I raised a brow skeptically.

"I'm surprised you're not more excited about yours, or have you not thought of looking through girls shirts?" I asked, and the guilty grin did not look a bit genuine.

"Well duh! I tried it on Botan, but she walloped me!" I gave a short huff of laughter, putting the pen and booklet away. We sat in silence after that. It was a comfortable silence, however, not like when I converse with others. Talking with Urameshi seemed different somehow, almost like talking to someone on my level of understanding, though I wouldn't go quite that far. Despite displaying his surprisingly thorough thought process, he was nowhere near my level of intelligence. However, he didn't seem to cling to the same morals and beliefs that deterred me from the rest of my race.

He was different, in a way that I'd never seen in a delinquent before. I wondered if maybe, just maybe, we could be friends in another life.

* * *

Yusuke entered the classroom about a minute late, still yawning. He hadn't gotten much of a nap since Little Kuwabara had visited him, but he wasn't about to complain, especially since she had been talking to him- willingly! That was something no one did, no one but Keiko, and certainly no other girls.

It was... nice? No, that wasn't right, nice was too girly of a word. It was cool is what it was.

_Sure, she's got that creepy dead-eye stare_, he mused to himself as his steps echoed softly. _And she's Kuwabara's sister, so that's a little weird. Plus that look..._

He had been unable to shake the feeling he got when he glimpsed her face as she stared at Sakimoto. That was a look he'd seen before on a taller, more masculine face. It was the look of someone without a single fuck to give about the person on the floor. She had the eyes of a tormentor, someone with a fist raised above the cowering. So much anger, it shocked him for a moment.

But it was only there a second, then disappeared like it never existed.

_I was sure she was gonna kill him, looking like that... _

He slid open the door to the classroom, yawning and rubbing the back of his head. No doubt there would be further headaches later in the day. Why couldn't he just stay up there with Little Kuwabara and burn things? That was fun. But no, instead he had to deal with these morons looking intensely at him like... well, we get the picture. Yusuke glared right back.

"Alright, what's with the staring?" This was just too much bullshit. They'd already seen him, he's back from the dead, yada yada. Can they move on? Keiko moved on, so did the Kuwabara's and his mom! What the hell was with these clowns!?

"You guys think Yusuke did it? He's no thief!" Keiko jumped to his defense immediately, but he was unsure of what she was defending him against. He looked at her, confusion beginning to turn into anger. He hated not knowing what was going on, especially when it concerned himself. A boy with glasses who sat about two chairs away from Yusuke answered her.

"He's a thug, Keiko, and I don't know that there's much of a difference. He did skip gym."

"Hey!" Iwamoto stepped into the room, a glare plastered eternally on his squashed face. "What's this racket about?"

The boy and Keiko tried to talk at once, but Iwamoto shut her down and asked for the boys side.

"Some of our things have gone missing, and the only one to skip gym was him." He pointed to Yusuke, who crossed his arms and glared menacingly, finally understanding the situation.

"He didn't do it, sir, I know it! Yusuke's not a thief!" Keiko always had his back, but there was nothing she could do when the whole school was against him. Plus, he technically _was_ a thief, at times. Just not this time. Iwamoto smirked pointedly.

"Oh really? So you can confirm his whereabouts then?" He asked her. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Well, Miss Yukimura?"

"N-no," She answered meekly.

"Oh, so then you weren't with him?" It was more like a statement than a question.

"No, sir." She cast her eyes to the floor, a shameful blush coating her cheeks.

"Well, can anyone vouch for Mister Urameshi's time and place?" Yusuke had a thought and took a step forward.

"Yeah! Kuwabara can!" Everyone glanced at him, either out of fear of his unexpected words or disbelief of him entirely.

"So we trust the word of one street punk to tell us where another street punk was during gym? Yes, I'm sure that's reliable." Iwamoto sneered and Yusuke backtracked, correcting his statement.

"No, not Big Kuwabara, Little Kuwabara, his sister."

* * *

"Kuwabara Hotaru?" A voice from the door caused me to look up from my rune work. The middle of Literature class seemed like the perfect time to start practicing some of the more useful spells, without the curse pen of course. Simply copying the runes with a normal pencil seemed to do well enough. The teacher was preoccupied, and though my desk was at the front of the room, my activities went largely ignored.

Asako and Hitomi, who had been curiously looking over my shoulders, looked up when I did. I met eyes with another female student a year above me, who came inside fully. She bowed apologetically to the teacher, who looked mildly inquisitive.

"My apologies for disturbing class, but Miss Kuwabara is needed in the principal's office."

"What's going on?" Asako asked in a whisper that was meant to be hushed, but was much louder than she probably intended. I took a moment to take stock of all my ducklings. I had not done anything recently to warrant any trouble, unless they somehow found evidence of my involvement in Akashi's disappearance (highly unlikely), so the blame must go to my brother. That, or there was no trouble, and they had considered my application to be moved up a year.

"I'm… not sure," I replied slowly. Tension bled into my shoulders from the air itself, permeating my thoughts. I hated not knowing what was going on, especially if it was regarding myself.

"She's excused," My teacher drawled lazily. I stood, stowing away the pen and manual in my pocket, and followed the upperclassman out into the hall. I knocked on the door to the office, and was answered by a clattering as something fell to the floor. I pushed through the door and saw Urameshi, of all people, pulling away from the large teacher, Iwamoto, who had a death grip on his arm.

My eyes zeroed in on the contact point, and for the strangest second of my life, I felt the desire to intervene.

"Get off me, lunkhead, I didn't do it!" The boy shouted indignantly, his temper flaring. The teacher took a step forward and raised his fist.

"Don't lie!" He gave the youth a swift punch across his right cheek. I knew it wouldn't even bruise, but that didn't stop me from suddenly needing to put away the image of this man eviscerated underneath my knife.

"Excuse me." I said it a little too loudly and a little too harshly, but it got his attention. "You asked for me?"

"Actually, _I_ did, Miss Kuwabara." Takenaka-sensei appeared from the door I had come through, looking very displeased. I moved over to stand beside Urameshi to make room for the portly teacher, positioning myself between the aggressor and my schoolmate.

"Iwamoto-san! I trust you found evidence before punishing." His voice gave the opposite impression, but I realized he had to keep up appearances. The smug professor turned to face the head teacher.

"Yes, all the evidence I need, Takenaka-san. I don't see why you needed _her_ here." He gestured to me, then began his predictably self-righteous tirade. "There was no trouble at school while he was gone, and now that he's back, look what we have. This poisonous weed was the only student skipping gym when the items were stolen. Must have learned this trick from his tramp mother. Huh!" My sixth sense flared, and I reacted without thinking. Urameshi began to shake, and I grabbed onto him just in time as he was raising a fist against the teacher. He struggled against my grip, but I held firm, fingers digging deeply into his flesh.

"You can do what you like to me, but I won't let you lie about my mother too!" He growled and I pulled him against me, locking his arm against my chest. I'm not sure if he tensed or relaxed at the contact, but he did stop struggling.

"Iwamoto-san, you are misinformed. Urameshi was not the only one skipping scheduled activities." I gave the boy a last squeeze before releasing him to stand beside him, just in case he decided to strike out again.

"I myself elected to take lunch away from my class for some peace and quiet and happened to meet Urameshi on the side of the building outside where the ventilation shafts are. We stayed throughout the entirety of my lunch period. There were twenty minutes time remaining for his class, but I can confirm that he had fallen asleep by the time I left." I looked both teachers in the eye.

"I do not doubt that another student may have taken lunch off, either in my block or the next. They certainly would have had time to do whatever it is you're accusing Urameshi of."

Takenaka seemed to accept my story, but Iwamoto, for some reason, did not want to see my logic.

"And we're supposed to take your word for all this? You, with your punk big brother and deadbeat father, and that crazy record of yours?" He smirked, and before Takenaka could say anything like I know he wanted, I cut in.

"My record has been expunged, and I'm sure you're aware this counts as harassment. You ought to be careful what you say, and to whom you say it, Iwamoto. Not all of us take things as well as Urameshi." I kept my voice low, but could not stop the ice that accompanied my words, chilling the very air. My threat was clear, both to myself and the teacher. It appeared that the undead boy, as well as my brother, were off-limits.

"Look, see how this little tramp threatens me? And the punk just tried to hit me!" The air was charged with emotion, swirling around me so thickly it almost made me sick. It was Urameshi, I realized. His aura was practically suffocating my senses. I couldn't react in time.

"Okay, that's it!" Before I could stop him, Urameshi was in mid-swing. I reached for him, but it all came to a halt, both of us caught in a distortion as the scene became silent. Our movements were halted for a split second before we were released, and Yusuke fought to regain his balance, glaring up at the figure floating just behind Iwamoto's head.

"Yusuke, Hotaru!" A much more realistically sized Koenma had joined us, his small frame disorganized and his face wild with panic.

Urameshi faltered and blanched, taking an involuntary step back.

"Koenma!" He sounded half irritated at being interrupted and half exasperated at the constant appearance of the Spirit World prince. I could attest to feeling the same way. The toddler seemed oblivious to our discontent, blathering almost incoherently.

"Have I got a big case for you two! Three criminals have stolen the Artifacts of Darkness from my father's vault, made slush of the guards, and escaped to the living world," he rattled off in one breath, heaving as though he'd run a marathon. His voice was higher than normal in his state of alarm.

"Can't you see I'm busy with this asshole here!?" Urameshi shouted, then suddenly covered his mouth, looking at Iwamoto with trepidation. However, Iwamoto and the rest of our surroundings seemed to be frozen in time, a slight filter of blue overlaying my vision. The only things unaffected by this haze were Urameshi and Koenma, who both seemed out of place with their vibrant colors. The world around us was dim, like a false green-screen background in a movie, and we were the actors.

"You were about to hit him. Why do you care if he hears you now?" I asked, waving a hand over the teachers grimace. I was satisfied with his lack of reaction, turning to Urameshi with a surprised look.

"Don't worry about him Yusuke. Right now he can't see or hear us," Koenma confirmed, which made Urameshi sigh in relief. He looked up again, still angry.

"Well anyway, can't you call back later or something?" Now they were both shouting at each other. I sighed, rubbing at my forehead.

"Stupid! This is much more important! If these stolen artifact are used to their potential, the entire living world will be in a state of chaos and suffering! Lost lives, captured souls, and a bunch of other bad things, got it?" I wondered why such artifacts were not destroyed if they could do so much bad and no good. It made no sense to keep them in a vault.

"It wasn't very insightful of you to keep these things rather than destroy them. You could avoid problems like this in the future if you get rid of the threat, not lock it away." Urameshi nodded in agreement.

"She's right! And besides, I'm not going anywhere for some dumb theft case until I clear up my own, okay?" I nodded my assent. Right now, my priority was Urameshi and clearing his name. Of course, that could simply be my reluctance to do anything the toddler asks of me. Koenma crossed his little arms glaring at me.

"Look here, those artifacts are as old as the universe itself!" he announced with a glare. "I didn't want them there, but I don't get a say in that. They are essential to the balance of light and dark, and if they are destroyed, everything falls into chaos. But that's not the point! The point is that they are being used now, and we need you to stop them!" The supposed ruler of Spirit World doesn't have a voice on what the vaults contain? Interesting. Well, he did say it was his_ father's_ vault… I suppose it makes sense if there's a prince, there has to be a king or queen above him.

"I'm sure this is a pressing emergency," I conceded. "However, this directly relates to your detectives personal lives. Even you can't deny that balance in all aspects is important to efficiency." After all, if Urameshi was still focused on this at inappropriate times, or unhappy with his boss, it stands to reason that the mission will be less likely to end in success. Koenma seemed to agree.

"Well there's your culprit right there." He folded his hands behind his back in a gesture of patience, nodding to Iwamoto's grimacing face. "Take out your psychic spyglass and look into his left pocket."

Urameshi took out the small toy he had shown me earlier at lunch. He held it up to his eye and peered at the teacher's pocket. He gasped suddenly, looking into the spyglass.

"I don't believe it!" I gave him a questioning look, but Koenma interrupted my almost-question.

"There you are, crisis averted. Now hurry up and do your thing!" Time unfroze and it was as if we had not moved an inch. As we had been walking ant turning, it seemed whatever linked us to the frozen world had remained as it was, jerking us uncomfortably back into our original positions. What with the shock of being so forcibly yanked back, I relinquished my hold on the boy.

Urameshi was still in mid-swing, but he changed the angle of his punch at the last moment and made to grab Iwamoto's pocket. There was a momentary struggle before he pulled out a golden dragon fountain pen. It was significant, I'm sure, but that didn't keep me from confusion. An item that had been stolen, perhaps? Urameshi let slip that this was a case of theft.

"An explanation, Iwamoto-san?" Takenaka looked very unamused and had clearly figured this out already. He just needed proof of his own.

"Well come on, isn't it obvious?" Iwamoto pointed to Urameshi, the gesture bringing me back to a time when such an offense would have resulted in a broken hand. It still may.

"This little master thief here slipped it into my pocket! Yes, in fact I'm so mad about it, I can't even look at him anymore!"

"Hold on, Iwamoto-san! I'm afraid we have more to discuss!" Iwamoto tried to make his escape, but Takenaka followed him out, trying to catch him. Urameshi ran out of the room after them, and I followed.

"He really tried to set me up!" He sounded a little hurt, but mostly enraged. I was only irritated. To be hurt, you'd have to be surprised, and to be honest, this kind of behavior from these teachers didn't surprise me. After all, the rat-faced Akashi-san tried to fail my brother out of spite and got him beaten to a pulp in the same week. Thankfully, after he had been fired, his body had turned up on some beach somewhere south of here.

To endure that and still come away a good man, all the beatings, the manipulation and lies, the adults acting like children, children acting like toddlers, and my brother in the middle of it all, sticking by his ridiculous code. On the days I was unable to escort him, he would appear home with bruises and cuts all over his face, and not a single defensive wound on his knuckles or arms. He just… he just took the beatings. Dad wanted to go to the police, but Kazuma only said it was a promise between men. He could be dense, and utterly incorrigible, but my brother was anything but ordinary. How we were related was beyond me.

"Urameshi, did you really think he wouldn't go this far? It's obvious he hates you. He hates both of us, my brother too." My words were not meant for comfort, but they seemed to do exactly that as his shoulders relaxed and he flashed me a glance that seemed to communicate his weariness, as though he was just now feeling the years of abuse and hate weighing on his shoulders. He looked tired, and I couldn't blame him.

He was tired, really. And sick of the world. He could only go on for so much longer before he quits altogether. His shell would break, and the dark contents would come spilling out like blood from an open wound. Who would be his tourniquet?

"You've been cleared of the charge, now go to work!" Koenma appeared beside us after a long pause, looking as impatient as ever. Urameshi, now back inside his shell, looked about ready to bite our 'employers' head off.

"Okay, okay, I'll get to it! But first, he pays." The old smirk was back, the one he wore when he rescued the kitten for my brother. He brought his hands together in one open hand and one fist, not unlike the sign of respect used in my dojo. However, there was nothing about Urameshi I would call respectful.

"Urameshi, you've gotten enough attention as it is coming back from the dead. I don't think you need to be expelled as well," I said, though I did not move to stop him. Koenma put his tiny hands on his hips.

"She's right, that's not very smart policy! Assaulting a teacher when you've been set free," the toddler scolded, as if the teen had been in the wrong.

"What, so you're on _his_ side now!? After what he said about your brother?" The angry boy turned his ire to me accusingly.

"Of course not. Not that I wish him dead, but should he happen to be, say, hit by a car, I wouldn't be too terribly broken up about it." My on-the-spot attempt at a joke was well-received, the teen snorting out a reluctant laugh as he glared after the teacher.

"I can't just let him go like that!" I would have to agree. He does need some form of punishment. Not to mention, this particular teacher had been as much a thorn in my side as Akashi. He simply hadn't angered me enough. Until now.

"I'll take care of it," I assured him, and he gave me a questioning look. "Later. I assure you." Koenma, however, looked incredibly uncomfortable with that, rushing to contradict me.

"No no no, don't even think about it!" He fixed me with a fierce look, the power behind his eyes making me pause. Curiously, I tilted my head. "You remember our conversation, surely! The only reason you've been allowed to operate this far is because you don't have any spirit energy. Once you do, your activities will be classified as threatening to the natural order."

"Spirit energy?" I asked, my ears hanging onto those words. I glanced back to make sure we were out of earshot, but the two teachers were gone. When my eyes found Koenma once again, he looked relieved. Urameshi looked confused, ruefully casting glances back at the now empty hallway.

"Yes, spirit energy. Your whole life you've been spiritually aware, but you've never had access to your energy. It's likely that your future encounters with demons will draw out your power."

"Power?" Urameshi questioned, but he went ignored.

"And for some reason, you see fit to put me in a situation that will give me a greater weapon to potentially use against you," I pointed out, though it was not with malice.

"Weapons?" Again, we did not answer the confused teen. Koenma frowned, looking troubled.

"Like I said before, Hotaru. The more powerful you become, the less dangerous you are. It's ironic and it doesn't make much sense out of context, but I'm banking on your inner self being less inclined to fight us. We've seen the good in you," he admitted, and that threw me off completely. I stilled, my thought halting.

"The good?" There wasn't any. I know that. Why was he lying to me?

Urameshi was silent. I'd almost forgotten he was there. Koenma floated a few inched closer, bringing himself down to my level to look me in the eye, and in the honey-colored orbs, I could not sense the deception that I knew had to be there, somewhere.

"I know what you've been through, and I have seen you change throughout your life. I know you aren't irredeemable. Even though my decisions may seem questionable, I believe that you can be saved." I blinked slowly.

"Saved." I would admit, I'd been thinking about what he had said more and more, random thoughts coming up at the slightest of triggers. Twelve percent humanity seemed like an awfully bleak starting point. Yet if the prince of Spirit World thought it was possible...

In this revelation, somehow, I did not feel victorious. Urameshi growled, moving between Koenma and myself with a frown.

"Alright, enough of this acting like I can't hear," he snarled, and I blinked in surprise. "Look, I don't care about activities or whatever's going on between you two. Let's get back to the good stuff, okay? You said powers, so what's that about?"

Koenma looked at me for just a second more before tearing his eyes away to give Yusuke a very unconvincing smile.

"Unlike Hotaru, you _do_ have access to your spirit energy," he explained, and Urameshi's eyes widened.

"R-really?" he asked in awe, and Koenma nodded.

"Indeed. It's likely that your recent encounter with death has resulted in the awakening of your spirit, and by extension, your energy."

"That explains the ghost lady," Urameshi said to me, and I nodded, feeling just the tiniest bit jealous. "So what can I do? Do I have like, lots of cool powers?"

"Yes you do, exactly one new power," Koenma said, and he brought up both his hands to imitate holding a gun, with his index finger and thumb extended. "It's called your Spirit Gun. I came up with it myself," he said proudly. Urameshi, who had deflated a bit when Koenma informed him he only had one power, perked up considerably at this.

"Okay, guns are cool," he said, looking around as though one might materialize around him. "Where is it?"

* * *

The greaser and I walked through uptown, our heads on the swivel and our eyes sharp. So far, we had seen nothing, aside from a few odd-looking street performers. We even stopped in the strip mall in the hopes that the high level of activity would draw the demons there, but no such luck. The two of us grabbed some hot rolls from a bakery before making our way further into the heart of the town.

"All these rich kids." I sighed as Urameshi once again complained about the area. It was easy to forget that he didn't get out much.

"All shopping!" He grumbled away as I trailed behind him. We approached a bench and he made to sit down.

He'd been surprisingly quiet about earlier, which was something I had not expected. I anticipated questions, assumptions, perhaps even accusations. But he simply acted as though nothing had happened. I was more than happy to follow suit.

"What else would you expect? Uptown is always crowded," I reasoned. Something brushed my leg and I looked down, my eyes meeting with a medium-sized white Akita mix attached to a leash which was tied around the bench my companion lay on. I raised a brow and the dog seemed to smile putting a paw on my leg and tilting its head.

Why does this always happen to me? I asked myself as I reached down and rubbed the dog behind his ears. He gave a happy huff and closed his eyes.

"How does Koenma expect us to find them in all this mess?" He plopped down gracelessly and folded his hands behind his head, surveying the area again. I noticed a distinct excess of purple, red, and periwinkle sweaters, no doubt all made from some expensive foreign material. They were all well-groomed and none of them looked like what one might consider normal in Kaidan.

"I'm sure even here those three are likely to stick out." I gave the dog the last bite of my bread roll and patted its head. I had to admit though, this place was enormous, with so many back alleys and buildings to disappear into, and crowds of people to cover their trails.

"Yeah, well some help he was! 'We think they're somewhere in uptown!' he says," Urameshi said, in a poor imitation of Koenma's nasally, pre-pubescent voice. He lay back, taking up the entire bench while I stood there in my uniform, arms crossed and trying to ignore the dog shoving its nose into my hip. It whined and I lowered a reluctant hand to its head. It sniffed my fingers as though expecting more food, but settled for some more petting. Urameshi noticed this and laughed.

"I think he likes you!"

At his words, an aura descended over the sky, turning it from blue to red in the blink of an eye. The air became heavy, tension building until it seemed were were sensory depraved. Everything just went eerily quiet for a moment. Urameshi sat up.

"Hello," he muttered, looking up at the sky, which was entirely the wrong color. "That feels awkward."

"I'd say more ominous than awkward," I said. He nodded and we both snapped around when we heard a faint cry for help. The dog whined, moving away to hide under the bench.

"Someone, call an ambulance! It's a kid!" Urameshi and I looked at each other before racing towards the crowd of people gathered in a circle. We pushed our way through to the middle and were met with a man holding a boy who gave the world a dead-eye stare, as though he were frozen comatose with open eyes.

People began murmuring all around us, throwing around speculation and worried guesses as to why he would collapse. The longer we watched, the worse I felt about this. My stomach was flipping and twisting into knots and I looked around us, searching the faces of people in the circle, trying to gauge if any of them were the culprits. After another moment, Urameshi tugged on my sleeve and gestured to the child. I managed to glimpse a small white orb with a tail come from the boy's mouth before it began to float away quickly.

I remembered what Koenma had said pertaining to souls, about how the Orb of Baast was partial to the souls of children and could snatch them right from their bodies. This soul was different from the one I'd seen three years ago. It did not hover over the body, nor did it take any humanoid shape. I suppose the extraction was different, so the shape would be too.

"I think that's what they call a lead, folks!" Urameshi said seemingly to no one. He grabbed my hand and dragged me after him as we ran after the little soul. We ran past people who didn't give us a second glance, but he stopped short as the soul turned into an alley. As we began running again, I thought of how lucky we were that the little spirit wasn't just phasing through the walls and buildings in its way. The quickest point to any destination is straight, and that's possible if you can pass through solid matter. It was just a thought.

It turned another corner, further into a network of alleyways that looked rather foreboding.

"Hey, wait up!" my companion called after it angrily. We turned the corner and stopped again at the sight before us. This portion of the slums was wider than the rest, and sitting or leaning on boxes and crates on all sides were men smoking, or drinking, or just sitting there with strange looks. None of them paid us any mind as we began walking, but I still didn't feel right about this. Judging from the way he pulled me closer to him, Yusuke felt the same. He surveyed each man as I did, but it didn't take me long to find the one who stood out from the rest, one whose translucent horns were slowly becoming more solid-looking as the seconds ticked by.

"There." I muttered quietly. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and I nodded to a hulking figure at the end of the alley. Though the human look was convincing, I could see the horns clearly. There were five. Urameshi took out his spyglass and looked into his pockets before turning to me and nodding in confirmation.

"You're right, he's a monster. There's the orb… thingy." The demon stood and stretched with a yawn and began to walk out of the alley, not even sparing us a glance. My fellow detective stowed the spyglass away and smirked.

"Okay, here goes." He went to follow after the monster, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Damn! We hadn't been watching the other men! They now surrounded us, a few of them leering at me in a way that made me wish I were alone, so that Urameshi wouldn't have to see what I do.

"Hey kid, you got some cash for me?" The one holding Urameshi's shoulder asked in a deep voice. We don't have time for this.

"Sorry 'Minor-League', I don't have time for you." He nearly bumped into the other three trying to leave. One of them smirked behind cheap sunglasses.

"That was the wrong answer." Another moved toward me.

"Maybe your lady friend would be more accomodatin', huh? How about it sweet-cheeks?" Urameshi tightened his grip on me painfully. We really don't have time for this.

"Well don't say I didn't give you guys fair-" I cut him off, my arm crossing into his vision as I took out one with a left hook and kicked out at a second, landing a solid hit to his groin before finishing him with a knee to the nose while dodging a hit from the third. I yanked out of Urameshi's grip and grabbed the collars of the man still standing in front of us and the one who had now released the boy's shoulder and brought them forward so that their heads crunched sickeningly together in front of me. Urameshi stared at me, amazed and terrified at the same time. We really, really didn't have time for all that.

"Warning?" he finished lamely. "Damn, Little Kuwabara, you've been holding out on me!" I nodded and we ran after the target.

"If I'd known you could fight like that, I'd be brawling with _you _every day instead of your brother!" We were unable to follow him directly, so we settled for my gut feeling and weaved our way through the alleys until we came to an opening that lead towards the woods. I sighed heavily as we split up.

I didn't dislike the woods, I suppose. In fact, were I not on a mission at the moment, I might find a stroll relaxing, if not for the multitude of animals that would accost me along the way. As it was, when I was actually trying to accomplish something, the rodents, birds, and occasional lizards were hindrances. So, at this moment, I did not like the woods, especially since the sky looked like it might start raining buckets.

Which it did. Caught in the cool rain, my clothes were entirely soaked through. My shoes squished when I walked, and I wished I had thought to bring my umbrella. I hadn't expected to be dragged out into the forest before dinner. If I was irritable, it certainly wasn't my own fault.

We searched the woods for what seemed like hours in the rain until Urameshi called to me, pointing out something suspicious. A circle of sunlight cut through the rain and touched down about a mile away. Sliding into step beside each other, we began a light jog towards the dry area. When we were within 50 yards, he motioned for me to stay back.

"You wait here. I'll go in first to feel it out." I nodded, stepping aside to let him go, then circling around at a faster pace on silent feet. I was glad my body was so light, and actually thankful of the rain that had quieted my footsteps. The spongy grass and wet leaves did not make nearly as much noise as they would dry. My slim form slipped between the leaves as silent as a ghost, years of sneaking around in the dark paying off. I stopped just outside the clearing, eyeing my position with an analytical gaze.

There was a sturdy tree beside me, the bark wet from the rain but quickly drying. It had an almost completely clear view of the clearing. I could hop right through the brush if I needed to. So silently, and with some difficulty, I hoisted myself onto the branch, finally catching sight of the demons.

One was the monstrous man we had followed here, watching a second, smaller demon with an amused grin. A third was off to the side, just visible beside the treeline in rather audacious, eye-catching colors. A magenta two-piece jumpsuit with gold trim clashed terribly with bright scarlet hair. Effeminate features aside, I could see this one, like the other two, was male. Not only that, but the magenta uniform appeared identical to that worn by students at a very prestigious private school in our area.

Interesting. Confusing, actually.

The second demon, little more than a blur of black, made contact with a tree, which splintered impressively and split completely in half. From the center of the thick trunk, a chunk of wood animated and took a form similar to a small gargoyle. It took off with a shriek. The dark demon landed, brandishing the sword with a triumphant sneer.

He was short, my height perhaps, with height added on account of the gravity-defying black hair. The only splash of color on his black-clad, rugged person was the stained white bandana over his tanned forehead, and I felt myself tense as I looked longer at that pale stripe. Whatever was under there- and I knew for certain there was _something under there_\- felt ominous, and curiously magnetic. I almost missed it when the demons began to speak among themselves.

"If the sword can make demons out of trees, just think what it will do to humans!" The short man grinned, swinging the large sword around languidly. He gestured to the large man, the point of the sword dangerously close to slitting a throat. "I say we go to the next big city and carve out a thousand of them. Imagine, raising an entire demon army!"

That was the plan? Traditional, I suppose, but world domination rarely worked in anyone's favor. It took money, not an army.

"Ha! I like the way you think, Boss," the largest of the group rumbled. "And if we teach them to eat souls, I even know how we'll feed them!" With that, he exposed the Orb of Baast, his excitement and triumph palpable. The object carried its own light source, luminescent green and dim like a nightlight. The sword too had an energy about it, not so much a light as a visible feeling.

"And once the moon is full, we can use Kurama's weapon and supposedly gain complete control." The newly identified leader of this small group turned his head to regard the demon just at the edge of the clearing. "Isn't that right?"

As the red-haired boy approached, I half expected him to brandish his 'weapon' in a similarly frenetic way. He surprised me with a blank expression to rival my own, looking for all the world as though the current events were far beneath him. His words gave me pause, and I raised a brow curiously.

"Sorry, I must withdraw from this alliance."

"_What_!?" The other two lost their diabolical grins in favor of gasping, open-mouthed shock. "What's that supposed to mean? Surely you're not dropping out of the game when we've come this far!" The boy, Kurama as I recall, looked unfazed.

"Yes." I almost laughed at his succinct response. The 'boss' failed to see the humor.

"You _coward_," he accused, his face twisting in disgust. "Your years of hiding yourself in this human world has made you just like them- spineless, and ready to be walked on!"

That information, to be filed away for later, paled in comparison to the dramatic tension that darkened the sunny clearing.

"I don't give a damn if he leaves," the tallest said, stowing his prize in his pocket. "But he's got no right to the loot. Give us the pretty little mirror."

"I can't. I have great need of it myself first." I hummed quietly to myself, half tempted to see where this all may lead. Entertainment was hard to come by, and while I typically wasn't interested in watching combat, I couldn't help the anticipation that rose within me as the largest of the three advanced upon the ginger, who looked completely unconcerned. If there was an emotion to be seen, it was simple, frigid exasperation.

"Alright," the man growled in a falsely conciliatory tone. "Then I'll punch it out of you!"

...

There was a rustling some ten feet to my right.

"Excuse me, neighbors!" Urameshi made his presence known, stopping the fight before it began and walking into the clearing, holding a tree-branch above his head like an umbrella. All three turned to him in . At the same moment, a large raven fluttered down next to me on the branch by my head. It cocked its head, staring at me with inquisitive obsidian eyes.

"Couldn't help but notice there's no rain falling here. Maybe the next time you guys go off stealing some magic toys, you should hide where it's not so obviously sunny. Just a tip," The boy finished with a cheeky smirk.

"Who are you? And how do you know about the artifacts?" The shortest of the three asked. As he moved, the light reflected off his hair gave it a blue tint. He regarded my companion with a heated glare, one hand gripping his sword- the Shadow Sword. A terribly unimaginative name, but it definitely got the point across.

Meanwhile, the raven shuffled closer on the branch, gently cooing and clicking its beak. I shifted away from the bird, trying to focus on the events ahead of me. I reached out with my senses, feeling out their different auras until I came to the conclusion that the short one was the most dangerous, with the red-haired boy coming in at second place.

"Give us your name." The large man demanded, his voice heavy with suspicion. he didn't strike me as being quite as dangerous as the other two, but the warning bells in my head only dimmed slightly.

"Why thank you, I'd hoped you'd ask." Urameshi threw away the branch in a show of his rare flare of dramatics.

"Hello boys! The name's Urameshi Yusuke. I'm a Spirit Detective." The last statement sounded like he meant it to be intimidating, but the flame-haired one was unamused, looking for all intents and purposes like he had encountered a very large and unpleasant insect.

"Spirit Detective?" At least the large one seemed worried.

"Don't worry, he's just one of Koenma's fools. He must have been the only human they could round up. His spirit energy is pathetic!" The short one smirked, a little mocking laughter in his voice. Urameshi's energy wasn't nearly as strong as theirs, that was true. At least, it wasn't right now. Earlier, however, it had been just short of stifling, when he was angry with Iwamoto. That strength was comparable to the dark-haired one, at the very least.

"Well, actually, that's where you're wrong," Urameshi smirked. "See, they managed to round up two of us." I took that as my cue, dropping gracefully from the branch and landing right in the clearing. My sudden movement spooked the raven, which took off with a loud cry of alarm. All eyes turned to me, shock written on their features.

"How long were you there?" the giant of a man ground out. I fixed him with a bored look.

"Oh, a while," Came my vague reply. "I'm afraid you won't find my energy to be anything particularly remarkable either. You'll just have to settle for this." The eyes of three enemies bore down on us. Three menacing energies swarmed the air, a dark miasma of suffocating power. The forest fell silent, even the rain not daring to fall too loudly. Staring death in the face at last, it was nearly overwhelming, the pulse, the _rush_.

And my heart soared.

* * *

**And so it begins. Insert maniacal laughter and no shortage of disarming, thoroughly cutting puns made at the hero's expense. Seriously, who else loves puns? I do, I can't resist them personally, and they always make me crack up. I'd be a great villain, because I would have no pun filter, and every encounter with my corresponding hero would leave me likely beaten and wounded, but at least I'd get off a few cutting remarks that damage their egos massively for the years to come.**

**Sorry if this didn't seem to cover enough, but life doesn't flow at a pace of event to event, action to action. It's slow, and there's down time. **

**I have to say, aside from the trouble I got tonight with trying and failing to focus, this chapter was pretty fun to edit. I hope it's just as fun to read.**

**Meow for now!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Welcome back, hope you're ready for the last cliffhanger to be resolved. I promise, there's definitely not another cliffie at the end of this chapter. No way, not a chance. Not here, no cliffhangers here! The stars are not in position for a cliffhanger. Stars. Can't do it... Not today.  
**

**... Sooooo... On with the sho!**

* * *

_There are plenty of ways you can hurt a man  
And bring him to the ground.  
You can beat him, you can cheat him,  
You can treat him bad and leave him  
When he's down.  
But I'm ready, yes, I'm ready for you.  
I'm standing on my own two feet.  
Out of the doorway the bullets rip,  
Repeating to the sound of the beat.  
Another one bites the dust.  
Another one bites the dust.  
And another one gone, and another one gone.  
Another one bites the dust.  
Hey, I'm gonna get you too.  
Another one bites the dust.  
Shoot out._

_\- Another One Bites the Dust - Queen_

**Exceeds Expectations**

From the trees, there was a certain point of view to be had. Above the rest allowed me to observe them all at once, and that they never knew I was there left little reason for me to keep them all in my sights. From the ground, however, and completely exposed to them, I was forced to keep myself focused, my eyes flitting between them all as their power towered over me.

And it is from the ground, staring into anothers eyes on their level, that you can really _see_ them.

The so-called boss of the group took my attention immediately. I met his smouldering gaze with serenity and a tilt to my head. Eyes the color of garnets before a flame burned into mine, sparkling and gem-like as though hardened by many years of pressure. They were diamonds, sharp and jaggedly cut, formed from the crushing blackness of earth, stained with enough blood to drown an entire city in. Nothing in those large eyes hinted at humanity, but everything I could see indicated that the owner of these infernal orbs was just as much of a monster as the one that looked at them.

My gaze flickered at movement, falling on the red-haired boy. He took a barely perceptible step towards us, and I responded by shifting my stance to one of a more defensive nature. I caught his gaze, noting with some curiosity that his eyes were just as brilliantly jewel-like as the other, this time shimmering emeralds set in alabaster skin. An internal light set them ablaze with an intense focus that put me on edge immediately.

Though their faces carried different affects, their eyes were similarly darkened in an all to familiar way. If I blinked, would they? Reflections were more than the image you see. They are also what sees you. And as I met the dark, beady eyes of the behemoth, I knew exactly what sort of monsters we were dealing with. Closing my eyes would not banish the reflection this time. Looking away would not keep the threats from seeing us.

The boy took another step, and Urameshi frowned, making a move of his own to obscure me from their vision.

"Hey," he barked out, and the young man snapped out of whatever thought he'd been in, looking quite alarmed. "You take one more step and you'll re- _HEY!_ Where do you think you're going!?"

The boy had turned, not taking his eyes off me until he had no other choice but to look away, then began walking away into the woods.

"Sorry." His soft tenor carried a hint of amusement, the voice young but rich, and full of something that made him seem older than he looked.

"I don't have time to be arrested." With a last glance back, emerald eyes finding me yet again, the red-haired boy vanished into the shadows of the trees. I could follow, but I didn't need to. We could find him again quite easily.

"Stop! Kurama! You can't just walk out on our plans!" The darker one panicked, whipping around and running after the other demon. He jumped into the air and promptly vanished. I felt his energy move away until he was beyond my senses, but still felt no urge to go after them. I would get my chance, I was sure of it.

Urameshi looked around, indignant and a little frustrated, and I realized how unaccustomed he was to using his new senses. I should probably give him a few pointers.

"Hey, don't leave yet you guys, we just got here!" He glanced around then frowned.

"So much for manners." I inclined my head to agree with him. They may have thought little of us, but to leave us here with only one was not only rude, but incredibly dim-witted of them. And I was certain they would pose more of a threat… The remaining demon took a few steps forward, the atmosphere changing to signal the beginning of a fight.

"Don't feel too bad kids, I'm much more polite than those two brats. I'll turn myself in nice and neat- if I can't rip off your heads!" How kind of him.

Urameshi fell into his stance, one that spoke of years battling on the streets, but lacked any sort of practiced form. He was a brawler, a punk with a thick head. Were he any normal human, he wouldn't stand a chance. However, he wasn't normal. Though I'd never witnessed him in a fight, rumor has it he was quite formidable.

"Sounds like a deal. Just don't pull my hair." I found myself struggling not to smile once more at his seemingly scripted wit. It was amusing, if not endearing.

The demon approached us quickly, though in a non-threatening way and I took a step back just as my partner leaned away warily. I tilted my head, looking this threat up and down. Size might be an issue this time. I would need Yus… I mean, Urameshi's help.

"But if you don't mind waiting, I need a little snack." With that, the tall demon brought from his pocket, the Rapacious Orb looking rather like a radioactive honeycomb, holding it within grabbing distance, I'm sure just to taunt us.

"What do you mean?" Urameshi asked suspiciously. I did, however, understand, and I was curious to see the tool in action.

"I find this little ball very useful." The demon reached two fingers through one of the glowing green openings. Retracting his hand, he had pinched between his forefinger and thumb the wispy tail of a small soul. I was startled by the stark differences between this small thing and the soul of the man I killed. Or perhaps, was there a difference between the spirit and the soul? These were more questions that may likely never receive answers.

"I never have to cook anymore!" The demon sounded like he was telling the punchline to a bad joke, laughing at his own off-color humor. I half expected a laugh track to follow his words. He held the wriggling soul before his face, though his eyes were trained on us, taking in our reaction. I raised a brow as the hair on the back of my neck stood up from static, and the skin of my arms raised in gooseflesh. The pure anger I felt coming from Yu-Urameshi was electrifying the air, but the demon didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't seem to care. I felt something inside me tugging, like a pull in my spine towards the teen. I ignored it.

"People don't realize how hard it is to eat human souls," he continued. "You gotta cook the humans till they taste good, but not enough to kill them. But this, it takes all the guesswork out of it. Pulls them from the body still alive, so all you get is good clean soul." I was tempted to ask how one might cook a live human without killing them, and how exactly cooking related to the soul, but I thought better of it. I had plenty of ways to kill people, I didn't need to kill their souls also.

"Is that… Is that the little kid?" Urameshi stared in horror at the wriggling white tadpole, and I could see his fear for the life, his concern for the comatose child's well-being. I wondered how badly that must be hurting him, to care like that. He must not be thinking straight right now.

"They're the best!" With a smile, the demon flipped the soul into his mouth and swallowed, straight down to his stomach. Oddly enough, it did not phase through him like I knew it should. Demons, or at least this variety, were probably equipped to be able to hold the incorporeal essence in their stomachs. Perhaps an altered version of that power could-

"_MONSTER_! Spit it out!" Urameshi was having none of the demons evening snack. His energy welled around him in a torrent of anger and fierce loathing, and that same tugging feeling came again, this time stronger, and it took all my effort to stay still and not leap into the fight as I was suddenly want to do. One fist came crashing into the monsters gut, and the demon's look of shock morphed into one of pain as the soul, forced back up by Urameshi's blow, slipped through the thin lips and fangs and escaped its captor.

The Rapacious Orb fell from the demons hand and rolled my way. My brows both raised as I regarded the sight with a calm interest, the tugging seeming to intensify with Urameshi's power as something struggled to reach him. Urameshi finished by delivering a strong blow to the demon's face, which sent him flying back a few feet and landing roughly on the ground on his back. I knelt to pick up the orb, feeling the faint traces of darkness radiating from it that made it feel much heavier than it looked.

"Ha! And that's a knockout." Urameshi said, sounding pleased with himself, and the pressure on my spine released as his energy died down completely. He turned to me and grinned, and I gave him a congratulatory nod, resolving to think about the odd sensation later.

"Well done, Urameshi. You've successfully laid out the weakest of the three," I told him, my voice holding only a hint of sarcasm, which he naturally picked upon and disapproved of.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said with a huff, his brow furrowed. "Let's just get that thing back to Spirit World, then you can watch while I beat up those other assholes!" I gave a small chuckle and voiced an agreement. He paused and looked up then. I followed his gaze to the little soul as it flew high above the trees and disappeared into the distance. It began to rain as the creak in the clouds was sealed, weather no longer prohibited by whatever demon magic our prey was using.

"That's right little boy, you're safe now. Just fly on home to your body." My curious eyes found Urameshi. I had never imagined he sound be so gentle, as he stared proudly and adoringly at the little ball of energy. I wondered what it was like to live like him, to be so happy for others when he goes out of his way for them. It must be exhausting. Or perhaps gratifying. He certainly looked satisfied.

He shrugged, hands in his pockets and turned to me again, his usual smirk on his face.

"One down, two more to go," he said determinedly, but his face drained of color the same moment mine did as I grabbed his hand, yanking him quickly out of the way of the clearly not deceased demon. A large, meaty fist impacted the ground where Urameshi had been standing and left a crater two feet wide. The boy and I stumbled over the quaking ground, trying to regain our balance.

"You little shit," the demon ground out, breathing ragged. His eyes turned up to us, more specifically to Urameshi, and they were alight with a murderous gleam. "That _hurt_!"

Urameshi shook me off, dropping low into his stance with eyes fixed on the risen enemy.

"What's your problem? Get back on the ground; I hit you too hard for you to be on your feet!" The demon just chuckled, hunching low as if he were about to charge. I took a step back, but stopped when it became apparent he wasn't going anywhere. Urameshi gasped as the demon's energy manifested in a red aura, cloaking his skin and giving it a black hue like stone. All at once, his body convulsed, back straightening and muscles expanding out, ripping his shirt to shreds in the process. The horns sprouted into full visibility now, and his hair lengthened, curling around his name. His fangs grew too long to be kept inside his mouth, protruding much like an alligator's. In his full form, for this was his true form, the demon appeared much more of a threat to my senses.

"I think we're in trouble," Urameshi cried out in alarm as the demon launched himself at us, his movements impossibly quick for his size. I leaped to the side and Urameshi tried to dodge the other way, but the demon's claws lashed out and caught my partner's shoulder. Yus- Urameshi screamed in pain as he was thrown off balance, tumbling to the ground and rolling over once, twice, three times before stopping.

Then the demon turned to me.

"Give me that back, and maybe I'll make your death quick," he growled. He turned to me, and I took a step back, analyzing my options. He was much faster, and I'd wager he had more stamina than I did, so trying to outrun him would be futile. I could give him the orb and run. He was unlikely to chase me after getting what he wanted. But… that means I'd be leaving Urameshi to deal with this alone.

That shouldn't be a problem… so why was it?

I glanced at the boy, whose face was scrunched in pain as he pushed himself up to his knees. Blood soaked through the torn sleeve of his seafoam-green jumpsuit, running down his arm. His eyes burned as he looked my way, and I felt my eyes widen in shock at the torrential emotion I could see, even from this distance.

"Get out of here," he shouted at me, waving his hand as if to banish a stray dog. "Get that thing to Spirit World now!"

My mind cleared. I made my decision.

"Not so fast girlie!" The demon lunged at me and I rolled to the side again, but I caught his arm coming around towards me, claws extended. Rather than dodge fully, I caught his wrist in my free hand and guided the blow away so that it brushed harmlessly against my shirt while my other cradled the orb. With one arm crossed over his body and his weight unevenly distributed, he was off-balance. I spun on one foot, landing a solid round-house kick to his face, one that left my foot numb.

His head snapped to the side and back, and with my free hand, I threw a quick punch to his throat-

_CRUNCH!_

The bones of my hand undulated and snapped, the pain shooting up and into my eyes in a matter of seconds.

I screamed, now cradling both hands to my chest as I staggered back. I cut the air in my throat off myself, clenching my teeth and taking deep, heavy breaths, each one accentuated by a whimper of pain. I think I heard Yusu-Urameshi yelling at me, but it was lost to the demon's laughter. The sound ravaged my ears, which seemed full of thunder as my blood pulsed thick and loud. My hand was on fire, but I tuned out the pain. It wasn't my first broken bone. I breathed heavily, forcing my mind to snap out of the pain and focus on the monster

"You're pretty strong, for a kid your size," the demon said, crouching low. This time, I was sure he was going to run me through with those lethal thorns. I couldn't waste time. "But my skin's harder than a rock! Nothing can penetrate it! It's the perfect armor I can carry with me wherever I go, and it's not even heavy!"

I tensed, shifting my weight to my back leg. I was ready to sprint-

"HEY! You forgot about me!" A crash sounded just behind the demon, and wood splintered around his back. He turned, and I caught a glimpse of Urameshi there, holding a large log that was all but shattered in his hands. The demon grinned and I saw the boy gulp, taking a step back.

"So, uhh…" Urameshi jumped back just as a fist came towards the ground where he stood. He looked alarmed as the demon continued, his fists meeting the ground in various spots just moments after Yusuke had left them. All the while, the boy's look of concentrated fury never left.

He was luring the demon away from me… so I could escape.

I had made my decision, and I did not look back. I ran, fast and hard just as my partner stopped his retreat. He squared up, ready to fight once more. The demon lunged with a roar.

_"Move!"_

My shoulder collided with Yusuke just in time for us both to tumble out of the way. The boy was in mid swing, and his arm looped around to catch me as we fell together. We hit the ground with a thud and he groaned, his body under me moving sluggishly.

"What the hell?" He finally said after looking up at me in a daze. His confusion turned to a glare, as full of concern as anger. "I told you to run!"

"I'm not leaving you," I informed him, leaning back on my heels as he sat up. "Don't ask again."

"I wasn't asking!"

"Hey now kids." The both of us looked up from the ground as the demon towered over us. His hulking form cast a shadow over the dirt and grass that touched us with its dark horns. "You should pay more attention to me, sweet as this is."

I grit my teeth as I reached out with my broken hand, grabbing Yusuke's wrist and hauling him up. I dragged him behind me in a dead sprint away from the monster, blinking back the tears that sprung to my eyes as I further abused my hand. The demon laughed, and I heard it say something about the uselessness of running away.

"H-hey! What are you doing?" Yusuke yelled as his longer legs finally matched my pace. We broke through the treeline but I didn't stop.

"You can't hit him, his skin is too hard," I said, my breathing ragged already. "I broke my hand when I tried. We have to think of something else."

His face constricted for a moment when I mentioned my hand, but then he looked down at his own, still gripped in mine.

"Hey, what about that Spirit Gun thing!?"

…

_"All you have to do is point your finger like this, and call your energy to you in your mind. Then you imagine a trigger in your mind, and pull it," Koenma explained. Urameshi looked at his hand, which was in the position Koenma had indicated._

_"Just pull, huh?" he wondered, and aimed his finger down the hallway. Immediately, I could feel a strength coming from him, his entire body seeming to glow just the smallest bit._

_"Hey!" he exclaimed in surprise. "It's getting warm!"_

_"That's your spirit energy," Koenma said, hovering over the detective proudly. "It will respond to your call if you need it, simply look for it inside your mind, and it will be there."_

_I struggled to curb my jealousy._

…

"Think that might do the trick?" His excitement died when I shook my head.

"There is no guarantee it will penetrate his skin." I stopped short and he cried out in alarm as I dragged us behind a wide tree. "We need to find his vulnerable spots." Yusuke growled, hands tightening to fists.

"Stupid Koenma! Why couldn't he tell us how to fight monsters?"

Eyes. That was always the most vulnerable spot of any creature, no matter how armored their faces. You can't have armor over your eyes without being unable to see. There's always a way to access the eyes. But how to get to his… I did not have any knives on me, a mistake I would not soon make again. Though with his enhanced speed, there is no telling if I would have hit my mark. I suppose I shall just have to go with an old fashioned eye-gouging, and then we can plan from there how to-

"I can't get him from the outside… but maybe if I get him inside." I stopped my thoughts, turning to Yusuke with a question dying on my lips. His brow was furrowed in concentration, eyes flicking back and forth between two unseen points. He was thinking, and thinking quickly by the looks of it. He turned to me, and I tilted my head, ready to hear whatever plan he had so quickly concocted.

"I've got an idea, but I need you to do something to bring him down to our level. Can you get his face to be around the same height as mine?"

I nodded, though I had no plan. It needed doing, so it would be done.

"There you are!"

The tree behind us cracked as a massive force splintered it. The wood collided with us and sent our bodies sprawling in different directions. Branches and leaves tore at my skin and hair as I fell, and I landed roughly on the ground, screaming out as I jarred my hand. The orb fell out of my grip and rolled away some three feet. I glanced at it, then back at my opponent, who we had not noticed until he was right upon us.

Yusuke was a few paces away from me, and he was pushing himself up on shaky arms, shaking with adrenaline and not fear, I hoped. I stood as quickly as I could then, drawing the demon's attention to myself as I stumbled to my feet. My right hand was curled into my chest protectively. I moved my foot back, shifting my weight.

The demon laughed once more, his gravelly voice seeming louder than before. My senses were sharper, I noted. The adrenalin must have been affecting me as well.

"Ready to fight now, little girl?" I didn't answer, narrowing my eyes as I analyzed his size in relation to my own. He was at least twice my height, so I would need to use a tree branch, or make him come down to my level, though the trees were more likely to be my avenue.

He began walking toward me, thunderous steps making me question how in the world we didn't hear him approaching. I heard Yusuke call out and the demon turned to him with another grating laugh.

"Oh don't worry boy. You'll get your turn!" He turned back to me, and I could feel the emotional aura growing around my companion, the tugging in my spine beginning anew. The demons feet thudded on the forest floor and I watched, tense with anticipation. When he was only a few steps away, he swiped his claws down at me.

I sprung like a rabbit from my position, shooting upwards and out of his reach to a tree with a low branch. My right hand was weakened and in pain, but I ground my teeth as I gripped the branch with both hands and swung myself up, turning in mid-air. The moment my feet connected with the wood, I surged up again, not giving myself time to rest.

He was quick, and he saw me moving, raising his arm to block me, but I anticipated this. My mangled right hand fell to his forearm, pushing down painfully and using my momentum to carry me up. My left hand shot out towards his face just as his arm began to move away from his body in an attempt, a successful attempt, to push me away. My hand would never reach his eyes.

And in that moment, the tug became something else. It never was a tug, I realized in that split second. It was a push! It was like some small reptile trying to break open the confines of its shell to enter the world. That push made it away from my spine, into my chest, into my heart, where it spread like wildfire through my veins. I could feel a warm, pleasurable wave of sensation running under my skin. It reached my fingertips, but didn't stop.

* * *

Koenma gasped, small body collapsing mid-step as he crossed the room. The two ogres in attendance immediately ran to his side, but the prince paid them no mind. Their questions fell on deaf ears, ringing with the evidence of a spiritual disturbance. His head pounded as power that had been slowly draining from him for three years finally snapped back, overwhelming the tiny form.

His vision filled with spots, breathing labored, but he managed to tear the sleeve of his Yukata up to his elbow. A look at his wrist where scribbled kanji was slowly fading told him all he needed to know. The seal put in place so long ago had been broken.

Hotaru's energy had surfaced.

* * *

The warmth erupted from my hand, two long spikes of a rich mauve hue shooting from my middle and index fingers. They surged forward, and I could barely register the demon's look of shock before they pierced straight through his eyes. Blood a surprisingly deep violet splashed out from the wound even before the demon began to scream- and scream he did.

His howling cries of pain pierced my ears as surely as my energy, for that's what it was, had punctured his eyes, now useless in their sockets.

_"MY EYES! YOU LITTLE BITCH!"_

His free arm lashed out, catching my side. Claws dug through my shirt and into my skin and I grunted, holding my own scream securely in my throat. The force of his swing knocked me off course and I tumbled to the ground once again, this time right at his feet. I growled, forcing myself to ignore the pain and the rapid blood loss. The purple energy was gone, but a quick internal search told me it was waiting there, under my skin.

A sudden movement and a flash of blue caught my attention as someone with long blue hair raised a baseball bat behind the demon, hitting him over the head with it. The bat subsequently broke, and I heard Yusuke call out the person's name. He sounded very close. The demon turned, striking out at Botan who shrieked and tripped over her own feet, narrowly missing being hit. He turned around fully, likely thinking she was me, and I pushed myself up from my position just enough to propel my body forward, slamming an elbow into the back of one of his knees.

"Yusuke! Now!" The monsters leg buckled and he fell to one knee, arms flailing. I rolled out of the way before his massive weight could land on me, catching sight of bright green in my periphery. I lifted my head as Yusuke shoved a large stick into the demons mouth, effectively propping it open. It didn't take me long to understand what his plan had been, nor to appreciate its genius.

"Monster, meet Spirit Gun!" the boy shouted triumphantly, standing with both hands up. His right hand had the thumb and index extended like a child making the figure of a gun. His power surged from within him, coating his entire body in pale blue light. I gaped, his aura radiating pure strength and willpower. I felt my own rising to meet it, called out to dance over my skin like a mauve aurora borealis.

And then, the blue concentrated, moving over his tanned skin to focus on his index finger, a blue star forming, a ball of light no larger than my fist that cast out streaks of light around it. The monster, though his eyes were blinded and bleeding profusely, let out unintelligible whimpers and moans. He could feel the energy, and he was stunned stupid by its power.

"Pull," I whispered, staring at the ball of light, drawn into it like a moth to a flame.

Then the star broke orbit in the blink of an eye, releasing much like a bullet, or a rock shot from a sling. It was visible for only a second before it disappeared into the demon's gaping maw, the stick keeping his mouth open disintegrating in the wake of the star, which exploded out in a supernova-like blast. The both of us squinted our eyes, turning our heads away slightly to protect ourselves from the light.

The demons screams were cut short, the power ripping him apart from the inside, shattering organs and ripping arteries, burning them beyond recognition. It lasted mere moments before the energy was spent, the damage done. The demon's entire head was burned black, the skin charred and peeling off like paper mache. Smoke and steam billowed from its orifices, even the eyes, which were burned out pits now. Yusuke stood there, his arms still up, and took a step back with a noise of disgust as the demon's body fell forward.

I watched in fascination as after a moment, purple blood began to pool out of his mouth. The scent of burning flesh reached my nose, not entirely unfamiliar, but with a hint of carrion and some unidentifiable odor that made it just the slightest bit unnatural. With a ragged sigh, I pushed myself up, favoring the hand that was gradually growing warmer.

This kill did not leave me with quite the same rush as others had. Perhaps it was because my life was in real danger, or perhaps it was due to my company. Yusuke fell then, letting himself drop down onto the forest floor with a groan of pain.

"Okay," he ground out, shoulders hunched and legs bent. "Now, he's _definitely_ not getting back up, so I'll say it again. One down, two to go, dammit."

I let out a breathy laugh, gazing at his worn-out frame. Movement from the other side of the corpse had me tensing, but a quick glance at the sky blue hair relaxed me considerably. The ferry girl had traded her normal pink kimono for a yellow sweater and blue jeans, all of it fitted on her slender body. Botan stared dumbly at the corpse, her mouth hanging open as fuschia eyes flickered between the demon, myself, and Yusuke. Finally, her eyes grew wide and her mouth split into a grin.

"You did it!" I gave her a deadpan stare.

"The tone of surprise in your voice disturbs me," I told her, but this did not deter her enthusiasm.

"Well of course I was surprised! Koenma sent you in here with barely any intel at all," she hurriedly stood, brushing dirt and grass from her legs. "I was coming to bring you their files before you had to engage with them." She glanced down at the body with a look of mixed fear and revulsion, skirting around the burned flesh carefully before making her way over.

"Well you're a little late," Yusuke snarked, and she frowned at him in a playful, scolding way.

"You handled it, didn't you?" She knelt down beside him and pushed his chest back a touch. He opened his mouth in protest but she cut him off before he could speak. "Now hold still, I need to assess your injuries."

"Koenma had files on these demons?" I asked, my ears not hearing anything after her first statement. She glanced at me with a furrowed brow, though I sensed the look of indignation was not directed at me.

"Not at the time he gave you your mission, no," she admitted. "But he shouldn't have sent you without you knowing what you're up against first!" That, I agreed with. I rose slowly, mindful of the gaping wounds on my side as I walked on shaky legs over to the other two. When Botan's eyes landed on my side, they widened in panic like it was the first time she noticed the blood.

"Goodness! You stay right there and let me fix that, young lady. There's no need for you to be up and about." I was slightly taken aback by the command in her voice, stunned into compliance with her wishes. She nodded in satisfaction, her hands rising to Yusuke's injured shoulder. A warm, baby-blue glow began at her palms, eventually covering the entire underside of her hands as she ran them just a hairs breadth over the site of the injury.

Though the clothing prevented me from seeing any results, the shock on Yusuke's face told me all I needed to know. He stared at her while she worked, her concentrated eyes never leaving the blood-soaked jacket until she pulled away with a satisfied smile. Experimentally, rolling his shoulder, the teen laughed in pleased astonishment.

"Hey! It's all better! I can't feel a thing!" Botan giggled, moving to stand up.

"You've got some bruises, but your own energy should take care of that in a few hours." Then she turned to me, dropping down to her knees directly in front of me. I watched dispassionately as she took my hand in a gentle grip. She observed my fingers with a look of mild curiosity.

"It looks like you've got a considerable amount of energy left," she commented. "It's already working to heal the bones! You're lucky they were only small fractures, or I might not be able to heal it." That was why my hand was so unnaturally warm, I suppose, and why the pain seemed dulled. Nevertheless, she poured her own energy over my skin, countering the fading mauve hue that had taken hold. Her energy felt like a cool breeze, gliding gently over the places it touched, a slow moving cyclone caressing and seeping into my pores. My hand grew comfortably numb, though I was certain I could feel the tarsals knitting back together.

"Awesome," Yusuke said with a grin. "Now that we've both got powers, those other two demons are gonna be toast!" I hummed, not entirely sure if I agreed or disagreed. I looked down at my left hand, trying to call upon the energy I could feel buzzing under my skin, and to my surprise, it sprung into action the moment I willed it.

A violet haze rose from my skin, completely covering my forearm in a shapeless mass. The part of me within the energy looked somewhat distorted, like looking through water that was constantly moving. Concentrating on the warmth, I willed it to take a certain shape. As I watched, it wavered before growing longer and more narrow, leaving me with a somewhat unsteady lance as an extension of my arm. It was nearly two feet in length, and rippled as it surged back and forth, like power flowing through an open circuit.

"That does seem to level the playing field a bit," I conceded, pulling the power back and watching it sink harmlessly into my skin. "However, we will need more developed plans when apprehending the other two." As I watched, I could see the muscles and marrow moving under the skin, like watching a kitten moving under a blanket. True to Yusuke's claim, when she had finished and moved onto my side, I could flex and curl my fingers without even the slightest twinge of discomfort.

"Fascinating," I muttered, turning my hand over to observe my knuckles, which had before born bruises. I twisted slightly so she could access my side, and she got to work instantly, the area going numb.

"Ha!" Yusuke grinned, his brow raised in a cocky expression so befitting of an illusioned teenager. "The only plan I have is kicking their asses." I raised a brow, an unusual patience taking hold of me.

"You're correct, the two of us are stronger than they believed, and that gives us a slight advantage. However, the both of them are considerably more dangerous than this one was. Brute strength and special abilities won't be enough." He narrowed his eyes in thought, crossing his legs and resting one elbow on his knee, chin in placed in the palm of his hand.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "Plus, who knows what kind of freaky demon powers they have! What if all of them can transform like this guy?" At his dawning panic, I looked to Botan, whose healing hands had numbed and repaired my torso. I ran my hand over smooth, unmarred skin marked only by blood.

"You mentioned you were bringing us files on these demons." At her nod, I continued. "I would like to see those, now." Despite my often polite phrasing of my demands, I always made sure that my tone reflected no room for argument, and this was no exception. However, she was either unbothered by my brusqueness, or she was accustomed to taking less than kind orders, the latter more likely.

"Of course, but don't you think we should head somewhere more secure?" Her suggestion was valid, and I nodded my consent. I began to rise favoring my left side, but stopped as I remembered, thanks to the distinct lack of pain, that I had been healed. I suppressed a pleased smirk as I stretched, twisting my core to both sides to loosen up the newly mended muscles.

I glanced at Botan, who was retrieving a brown leather bag from the treeline as Yusuke joined me in standing, rolling his shoulder joint once again with a smile. My thoughts began anew, taking in all I had learned in the span of a few short minutes.

Botan's disapproval of Koenma's short-sighted order for us to track down these criminals without sufficient information was somewhat relieving. I stored away that little tidbit of her morality for later use, focusing instead on her newfound usefulness in healing. Should any of our assignments prove as deadly as this one, it would be prudent to have her abilities nearby, or at the very least on call.

In order for that to happen, she must become our "friend". From there, the possibilities for her usefulness only grow. But first, a relationship must be established. I blinked, switching gears in my brain from fight mode to what I called "Koori Mode".

"Thank you, Botan," I said to her as she returned, and she gave me a cheerful smile.

"Oh, it's no trouble! That's what I'm here for after all, to be your assistant." I shook my head.

"Regardless, you stepped into the fight to try to help us, and used your remarkable abilities to make us fit to fight again. Neither of those things were requested, and I doubt they were ordered." At her blush, I knew I was correct.

"Yeah! That glowing hand thing was pretty neat!" Yusuke, not knowing he was playing into my strategy, only bolstered my position with his own compliments. Botan tittered, covering her blush with a dainty hand.

"Well, if you liked that, I'm sure you'll love this one!" She reached into the bag, withdrawing what appeared to be a large calculator of sorts, except the screen was considerably larger, and there was an antenna sticking out of the top with a miniature satellite dish set into the point.

"What's that, some kind of TV remote?" Yusuke asked, and Botan grinned from ear to ear.

"That's actually very close! It's one of the new model Skeleton Keys!" I raised a brow at the item dubiously, and Yusuke blanched slightly. Botan noticed our doubtful glances and waved off our concerns like an unpleasant odor. "It's just a fancy way of saying Portal Device," she explained, moving to tap some of the number and letter keys.

"Well then why isn't it called that?" Yusuke asked, annoyed and intrigued. "It's not just cause you're the grim reaper and it sounds scary, is it?" Botan giggled in response, putting the device down for a moment to answer his query.

"Oh no, of course not! They did use to use actual brass keys back in the day, before I started working there, but those were horribly inaccurate! These are much better." She then took on a haunted look, glancing down at the "key". "Before, you would stick a key in the air and say your destination, but that could put you anywhere if you weren't specific enough. I've heard of ferry girls ending up stuck in walls and trees, even in people sometimes!"

"That sounds problematic," I said, though the thought of Botan getting stuck inside a wall almost brought a laugh from me.

"It is," she agreed, then smiled. "But this device allows you to put in exact coordinates in the spiritual and physical plane to almost anywhere you want to go, and you can even make a portal to people, provided they aren't masking their energy or projecting multiple signatures."

That was possible? My head was spinning with all the new information, and the implications that came with the facts she was feeding us. I had many questions, but they would have to wait a little while. Right now, Yusuke and I… When did I start calling him that? He was Urameshi, last time I checked. We hadn't gotten onto a first-name basis.

_Urameshi_ was excited for his first experience with portal travel as a living human, and I did not think to warn him of the rather uncomfortable sensation. When Botan finished typing in the coordinates, the same black and blue oval that I had used before appeared directly before her, making no sound and seeming quite out of place. However, as I followed both of them through, the roaring like a turbulent ocean filled my ears. Stars flew past my face, and I allowed myself to relax, the scenery calming, in a sense.

In just moments, I stepped out behind the other two, and the portal closed as Botan pressed the red button on the key.

"What about the demon?" I asked, and Botan jerked her thumb in the direction of the fading circle of darkness.

"Spirit World cleanup crew. They've got it handled." I nodded. That made perfect sense.

"Would it be possible for us to get a device like that?" I wondered, pointing at the grey piece of technology in her hands, but I was unsurprised when Botan shook her head.

"Sorry Hotaru, but it requires pure Spirit energy to work. You're Human, so yours isn't compatible." I hummed, disappointed, but I suppose that only means she will have to be kept even closer. I wanted to learn more about this odd amalgamate of technology and spiritual energy. What other sorts of devices were they capable of producing? Did they all require the energy possessed by Spirit World inhabitants? Questions for another time.

"Hey, we're not too far away from my place," Urameshi commented, peering out of the alley with keen eyes. "Yeah, the building is just over there!"

"I thought it would be prudent to go somewhere familiar to rest up and discuss our next move," Botan said. In no time at all, we found ourselves sitting in Urameshi's bedroom, which was surprisingly clean, and I doubt the one to keep it so was him, or his drunkard of a mother. That left only Yukimura as the culprit. I sat cross-legged on the bedroll, my fellow Spirit Detective sitting just a few feet away, the orb clutched safely in his hand.

"Any particular reason we didn't simply port straight here?" I asked the reaper as she procured a worryingly thin file folder from the bag she carried.

"Well, the technology's not perfect, and I didn't want to frighten Atsuko in case she happened to be here, which she was." Said woman was currently brewing some tea for her son and his "lovely lady friends". She had taken to us well enough, surprisingly. I had assumed she would berate Yusu-_Urameshi_ for having female friends aside from Yukimura, however, she welcomed us with a conspiratorial giggle after berating the boy on destroying his off-color school uniform.

"I see. And am I to assume you have some sort of compression technology that condenses information?" I asked, gesturing to the pitifully slim folder. She grimaced.

"I'm afraid not. This is all we could get on them, and I'm sorry to say the only one we knew much of anything about was Gouki, the one you already dealt with." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I heard Botan cross the room and sit across from us on the floor. A glance at her genuinely regretful face was enough to banish my irritation at her. After all, she was my friend now.

"That's quite alright, it's not your fault," I assured her, and she gave me an appreciative smile. I reached for the file and she gave it to me without hesitation. Urameshi leaned in over my shoulder to get a look. Upon flipping the first page, I found the green eyes of the effeminate demon looking back up at me, the picture doing the vibrant hues of his true visage little justice. However, there was no forgetting that bright magenta uniform with the gold trim.

"Kurama," I said, rolling the name over my tongue. "No priors, not involved in any former cases, no record of him at all, aside from this incident."

"What did he take?" Yus-Urameshi asked, brow furrowed. "That other guy had a sword, and the big guy had the ball, so what's this guy got?"

"He has a mirror, a powerful artifact called the Forlorn Hope," Botan said, holding up her hands to animate her words. "It grants any wish at the light of the full moon, for a price." The boy leaned in slightly, forcing me forward as well.

"And that price is…?" he asked impatiently, but the ferry girl shrugged. "No one knows, leastways not anyone in Spirit World." Urameshi growled.

"Well that bodes well! What if he has to make sacrifices or something?" At that thought, Botan covered her mouth in shock.

"I hadn't thought about that! With all our worrying on what he could do with that wish, we never even considered what he would have to do to get that wish in the first place!" I hummed, narrowing my eyes a touch.

"Possibly, but I was eavesdropping for a minute or so before the confrontation, long enough to hear that Kurama intended to cut his ties with the other two." Urameshi looked startled for a moment before his eyes lit in realization.

"Yeah, you're right! What did he say? Something like, 'withdrawing from the alliance' or whatever. He was leaving the group." Botan looked flummoxed.

"Did he happen to mention why?" I shook my head.

"He did not, however the other ones seemed upset. If we can capture Kurama, it is possible he might be able to provide us with information we can use to find this-" I flipped the singular page to the next, finding cutting red eyes glaring up at me from a sideways glance. The image was slightly blurred, as though it had been snapped in a hurry, but the sharp gaze, pursed, thin lips and round face were unmistakable.

"Hiei," I finished, ignoring the remaining files on the Gouki character and shutting the case. Urameshi scoffed, throwing himself back onto his futon rather dramatically.

"Yeah, but first we've gotta find him!" I blinked, my face impassive.

"That'll be quite easy. I recognized his school uniform the moment I saw him." My words produced a slightly delayed reaction, but both of my companions shot up in alarm, both of them staring at me with glowing eyes.

"Huh!?" Urameshi gaped in shock. "What the hell is a demon doing wearing a school uniform?"

"And you waited this long to tell us?" Botan demanded, fists shaking and eye twitching comically, and I fixed her with a cool stare. She blinked, and her ire bled into a mix of apprehension and fear at my look.

"One," I began, pretending not to notice her expression, "Whether or not I had told you now, then, or later, we still would have needed to relocate somewhere secure to assess the files and recuperate. Two, I needed time to come up with a plan."

"We could have helped you with the plan at least," Botan pointed out, and I gave her a pitying look.

"Unlikely, as neither of you would have information of value or any particularly worthwhile insight to offer on this specific topic. Your opinions would have been useless." The both of them looked affronted, and I blinked, realizing for the first time I can remember, I regretted talking down to someone. This was not the way to form a dependable relationship.

"So what you're saying is that we're dumb," Yusuke bit out, his tone less than friendly. I shook my head, trying to backtrack as best as I could.

"On the contrary, when it comes to things you are knowledgeable in, like with the arcade case, I'm more than happy to let you take the lead. However, neither of you would have been able to help formulate a plan, because you lack sufficient information. That's all," I finished, and I flinched slightly at the irritation in my own voice.

My reasoning seemed to placate Botan, Though Yu-Urameshi frowned, grumbling a reluctant assent. The ferry girl leaned in, eyes alight with anticipation as her mind caught up to the present.

"So since you're telling us all this now, that must mean you've already come up with a plan," she guessed, and accurately so. I nodded with a small manufactured smile. "Do tell!"

"It will rely on a number of things to go right. First, he has to be present at the school for this plan to even get off the ground. However…" and I linked my hands before my face, leaning forward in a contemplative position.

"However?" Botan repeated, her expression concerned. I sighed, my eyes sliding shut.

"We will have to enact the plan tomorrow, during the school day… which means I'll have to break my perfect attendance record."

The stunned silence that followed seemed to freeze in time, and I could imagine them both falling over sideways in disbelief as their expressions warranted.

"You're such a _square_!" Urameshi commented finally with an almost disgusted sneer. "Just like this Kurama guy, apparently. Why would he bother going to school!?" Getting over her astonishment, Botan clenched her fists, eyelid twitching comically.

"The _entire world_ could be on the line and you're worried about your attendance record?!" she squawked, but I gave her a calm, rational look. I ignored Urameshi entirely.

"I haven't missed a day of school since I was five years old, Botan. Maintaining a perfect attendance record is essential to…" _preserve my facade._ "Continue to be a model student." She groaned, planting her face in both hands.

"While your dedication to your schooling is admirable, I think it's a little less important than the potential end of the world!" I waved her away, much like she once did when she found our concerns of little importance.

"Calm down, I've already decided to go through with the plan. I'll call out sick." My assurance did not lessen the irritation on her face, but my next question did. "In any case, how soon can Spirit World provide us with Meiyou uniforms?"

* * *

Apparently, the clothing manufacturing department in Spirit World needed no more than an hours notice to create two uniforms in cherry red, tailored to mine and Botan's measurements. A simple feat, the ferry girl had explained, as they had not only created the physical body she was currently inhabiting, but had designed an entire wardrobe for her in less than a day.

Our plan was quite simple. Botan and I would infiltrate the academy during their lunch hour, because Yusu-_Urameshi_ "will not be caught dead wearing pink, thank you very much." Naturally, it fell to the least suspicious of us, though I was mildly concerned that Botan's hair might create a bit of an issue. It stood out like Bach at a Megallica concert, and would likely draw us attention if we weren't careful.

The uniform was quite flattering, even on a form as lacking in defined womanly shape as mine, and a developed woman like Botan certainly looked quite trim in the attire. We blended in as well as you might expect, aesthetics aside, and it was easy enough to titter shyly and announce our recent enrollment, and how we had been allowed the hour to tour the campus.

We only needed to use that explanation a handful of times, however, as most students were content to ignore us, or else mutter disdainfully behind their hands. It took very little time for us to devine where a certain tall, red-haired young man might be. Minamino Shuichi, they told us his name was. A very human name. A very normal, unassuming, human name. It meant studious. I believe it was quite accurate.

Botan trailed behind me, her eyes scanning the area with dutiful caution, but I was unconcerned. I could feel nothing threatening aside from what was right before me, and nothing at all suspicious was waiting for us. It seemed he never expected anyone to discover where he had been hiding.

"There," I said softly as we approached a sectioned off area adjacent to the main courtyard. I could feel him, alone in the room beyond, a greenhouse if the clear glass ceiling was anything to go by. I could not see him, but my sixth sense flared whenever I glanced over the wall that blocked my view.

"Wait here. If things go wrong, alert Spirit World immediately." I didn't wait for her to agree before striding over to the alcove in measured steps. The sound of laughter reached my ears, a friendly, cheerful noise that I would often hear in passing on my way to class. A gaggle of students was walking past the greenhouse doors, one of the girls glancing through the window with a hopeful expression, which then dimmed, as though she had not seen what she was looking for. I waited for them to disappear around the corner before pushing the door inward.

I was immediately greeted by a blast of warm air, warmer than outside, but not uncomfortable. The temperature difference made sense when I noticed some of the more tropical flora that inhabited the building, their colorful petals striking against the normal color scheme of our area.. I took slow, careful steps inside, casting my eyes to every corner and bend in the narrow paths through the plants.

"Minamino Shuichi," I called, unsurprised when I heard no response. However, I did get a hunch that I should turn to my left. Not a moment later, a figure appeared, cutting a very stunning image of pink and red among the copious green. Curious eyes quickly expanded, and just as quickly hardened as his form shifted. I did not miss the way his hand dropped discreetly into his pocket when he turned to the side. I kept that area in my periphery as I stared him down with a pleasant smile.

"Kuwabara Hotaru is my name. I was told I could find you here. I was hoping we could have a quick chat, if you are agreeable."

Needless to say, the amicable voice I used did not convince him, though that was not its intention. It was made quite clear that whether he was agreeable or not, we would be having this talk.

"By all means, but first, I do have a question" his smooth tenor was sharpened to scalpel-like precision, each word glinting with the wickedness of a killers blade. I had little doubt that, should I make a wrong move, I would find an opponent just as dangerous, if not infinitely more so, as myself.

I nodded, said: "Proceed, but understand that I am not alone, and any attempt on my life will be seen as a forfeiture of our temporary truce." His eyes narrowed, and I could tell that I had thrown him off balance, just a bit. It was enough, and it had the intended effect.

"Truce? Explain." I raised a brow at his command, my lips raising in a mocking smirk.

"Is that your question?" He did not appreciate my jab, but took it gracefully enough, returning a grimacing smile of his own.

"If I might be allowed more than one." I raised both brows, nodding for him to continue. He dipped his head in acknowledgement, his eyes glittering perilously.

"My thanks. I suppose my first question must be on your ability to locate me. I was quite meticulous when covering my tracks." He sounded mystified, as though he never imagined anyone could outsmart him, least of all Spirit World and their associates.

"Not meticulous enough to change out of your easily recognizable school uniform," I pointed out, and his look darkened slightly, his cheeks flushing. He was… embarrassed? How odd. "If not for that, I would never have known this was where you might be found."

He looked miffed, like he'd received a scolding he knew he deserved.

"I see, a grave error on my part, one I will rectify in the future, if the need arises." he looked up, fixing me with a coldly inquisitive look. "Now for my second question. You mentioned a temporary truce. Am I to assume that you are not here to arrest me?"

"I am not."

"You must think me a terrible fool," he said in a deceptively nonchalant voice, as though it were a passing comment on the unseasonable chill in the air. "I've never known Spirit World to give up on their prey for any reason."

Prey. He had said prey, with a barely perceptible sneer, like he'd had encounters with them before, or else they had a reputation among demons I was unaware of. It appeared, as I had suspected, Spirit World had enemies. Dangerous enemies, that I may be able to use to my advantage should the need arise.

"I _am_ a Spirit Detective," I admitted. "When in the field, one does not have the luxury of turning a blind eye to evidence which seems contrary to what's been established. Situations arise, plans are thrown awry, and we must be able to respond on our own merit. Improvise, so to speak. Your truce is not with Spirit World, it is with myself, and Urameshi."

He seemed surprised. Astonished is the better word, flabbergasted. He looked at me now with a critical eye, one that was more than a little assessing, but still held that bit of suspicion.

"What exactly is this contradictory evidence, if I may be permitted another question," he said with all the politeness in the country. I was aware that, as the arresting officer, I was being particularly lenient, generous even, with allowing him to speak.

"You have withdrawn from the alliance, as you put it," I explained, and he raised a delicate brow. "We happened to overhear the last part of your conversation with Gouki and Hiei. I've come to the conclusion that, at the moment, you are a lesser threat than your former associate."

He nodded, visibly thinking as his eyes darted to the side. He seemed to be quite intelligent to me, as he then looked up with a question in his gaze.

"You said associate, singular." The question was obvious, and I allowed the smallest slip of a smirk onto my lips, and it was real.

"Gouki is dead," I informed him. "Yus-Urameshi and I saw to that yesterday shortly after you left." I barely blinked, and pretended not to have noticed my slip.

Dare I say he looked impressed? In any case, he nodded once more, acknowledging our victory.

"I see. And now you have come for my help locating Hiei, am I correct?" I opened my arms, hands up as a gesture of surrender. I did not miss the way his eyes tracked my movements, so I made sure I was slow, and as non-threatening as possible.

"You see right through me," I admitted. His mouth lifted to a smirk, but it was hollow.

"No, Kuwabara-San, I don't think I do." I was left little time to ponder this before he drew himself to his full height, his stance relaxing somewhat. "I'm afraid I have no idea where Hiei could be. After the two of us parted ways, communication was cut off." I raised both brows, eyes widening slightly as I caught onto something.

"After you _parted ways_? So then you do still have the mirror." His eyes grew hard yet again, but I pressed on. "You did not fight with him, or you fought him and won. Logically, either you have both remaining artifacts, or you left on peaceful terms and still have yours."

"Well, I am not sure I would call our agreement peaceful," the demon admitted, "but we came to an understanding, yes." I hummed, considering the implications. It could be that Kurama planned to use the mirror first, then promised it to Hiei, or perhaps Hiei was overreacting and did not truly need the mirror, however unlikely the latter may be.

"Very well then, I'll have to ask that you return the artifact." I knew the answer before he gave it, and the Rush that ran through me had everything to do with the upcoming battle for the mirror. Hie emerald eyes turned to stone, lips set in a thin line and stance shifting defensively.

"I'm afraid that is something I cannot do."

I might have been hoping for that answer.

* * *

**So, yeah, I lied. I do that a lot, don't worry about it. **

**This chapter was a lot of fun for me, and I'll tell you now, this is not going to be the last subversion of canon. I feel that the addition of any character into the main narrative is likely to change it on some level, and given the nature of Hotaru as both a fighter and a strategist, this was the most likely outcome of the fight. If you have a problem with it, I don't know what to tell you.**

**How many times have you said/heard, "Man, if I'd been there, I would have done this!" Same principle. **

**Meow for now!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8! It's here, it's now, its the future. But wait, there's more! Call now, and you'll get two chapters for the price of one! **

**Nah, I'm just kidding, I don't have the editing speed to produce two chapters in one week. That first three chapters in one day thing was a one-time deal. I may upload bonus chapters from time to time, but they're usually short and don't count. Speaking of, what should I do for Christmas? I know it's a pretty new story, so by all rights, I shouldn't even be thinking about Christmas presents. But hey, I'm a giving person, what can I say?**

**Starting us off today is the single Cyndi Lauper song I like, because God, her voice is just so grating! Also, a fun little chapter title that popped into my head last minute. On with the "sho!"**

* * *

_You with the sad eyes,_  
_Don't be discouraged._  
_Oh I realize_  
_It's hard to take courage._  
_In a world full of people,_  
_You can lose sight of it all._  
_And the darkness inside you_  
_Can make you feel so small._

_But I see your true colors_  
_Shining through._  
_I see your true colors,_  
_And that's why I love you._  
_So don't be afraid to let them show._  
_Your true colors,_  
_True colors are beautiful,_  
_Like a rainbow._

_\- True Colors - Cyndi Lauper_

**Criminal Minds**

Our house is, in fact, a house. We did not live in a condominium directly in the city, but on the outskirts where we could afford to have a sizeable home for five. It was a relatively rural area, though we did have neighbors whose yards could be seen from our own. Nobody was close enough to be too close, but spying on the neighbors wasn't exactly difficult.

Our front yard was small, with only one car in the driveway. Our backyard was larger, and fenced in for privacy. There was a tree that still had the straw dummy of Urameshi tied to it standing just to the left of the center. Kazuma and I would sit under that tree in our youth. I would read to him, and he would braid my hair as he was want to do. It was one of the places I felt most at peace.

There is a wooden porch, with a flat roof and two steps leading into the yard there, with two rocking chairs and a coffee table. The door for this area is at the end of the hallway that one must take to access every room in the house. It is an odd layout, but not inefficient.

When you first enter the red front door, the color of luck, you encounter a long yellow hallway with beige carpeting and a green rug beside the shoe rack. After removing your shoes respectfully, you take a few steps and have a choice of right or left. Right takes you into our sizeable living room. The sofa, pushed up against the wall, is directly under the staircase, so the ceiling slants there. It is a well-decorated room, but not too expressive, with the same yellow walls, beige carpet and green rugs. The furniture is all grey, from the sofa, to the work desk, to the two chairs positioned in a way that forced the occupants to look at one another. On the wall facing the front yard, there are two tall windows, and between them is the television.

At one time, we were quite strapped for cash, Mother's treatments and subsequent death taking quite a toll on our funds. However, we came into a considerable amount of money after receiving a generous donation from a businessman just before he drowned in a hotel pool, having slipped and hit his head on the floor. That was the known truth, anyways.

If you chose left, you would enter the kitchen. The yellow walls are darker, stained by the smoke from dinners gone awry, of which we had plenty. It is a simple layout, with a table that seats five on the left side of the room, the food and water dishes for the cats beside the trash can, which was beside the counter. The floors are questionably stained white linoleum with black squares. It was neat and orderly most days, but more often than not carried the faint smell of burned popcorn.

Further down, at the middle of the hallway, was a set of stairs. Beyond the stairs were two more rooms, and then the porch and backyard.

The last room on the right is the Seance Room, where father conducts his business. He's a registered medium, a psychic of great renown in our little corner of Japan. It was decent money, after he'd gained his reputation of course.

The room across is fathers room.

Up the stairs, you again have the option of left or right. Left leads you to the beginning of the loop, the bathroom. Father's room is connected to his own bathroom, which leaves the three of us, as well as any guests, to fight for the only toilet.

The next room is a relatively small storage room. It hasn't been cleaned out in years, and I vaguely remembering us having a kotatsu once. It's probably in there under the boxes of mothers clothes, along with many other painful memories Father refused to get rid of.

Beside that is Shizuru's room. I've never actually spent much time in there, though we were both girls. It would have been normal for me to follow my older sister around, but be it because of the age difference, or the clash in personalities, I was closer to Kazuma, who took on the task of idolizing Shizuru.

Continuing on the same path around the landing and past a table with fresh flowers, and Mothers shrine, my room is directly opposite Shizurus. Beside me is the playroom, which has been refurbished into a man-cave, as it were, for Kazuma and his friends. And then, the last room on the right side is Kazuma's. It's remarkably clean for a teenage boy, due in no small part to Shizuru's motherly nagging. I remember many nights of bad dreams waking my brother. His room, I was quite familiar with, being the one he would always come to, and the one to always be with him. The toys and games were gone now, posters and mangas taking their place, but it still smelled strongly of my fondest memories.

Kazuma hardly ever went to our father's room. Father didn't really have to be a traditional parent anymore after Shizuru stepped up to the plate. He was more of a live-in hall monitor, though Kazuma and I were not the types of children who needed constant discipline and strict rules. We had always behaved well enough in the house, always cleaned up after ourselves, always knew when not to argue, and more often than not, we were on very friendly terms with our father.

Our sister, on the other hand…

"And where the hell have _you_ been?"

I had no sooner set foot in the door than the tall brunette had stormed out of the kitchen on a warpath, because she was too dignified to barrel or thunder. Her disappointment and anger were undercut by her worry.

I fixed her with an unamused stare.

"You've been gone for nearly two days, I almost had to call the police!" From the kitchen, I heard Father chime in, most unwisely.

"You knew she was okay, there was nothing wrong." My sister's brown eyes flickered to the doorway, and I knew father could feel the ire through the wall.

"That's not the point, she's just a kid! You're not like Kazu," she rounded on me again, and I raised a brow. "You don't have friends to watch your back. How the hell are we supposed to know if you're okay if you don't at least give us a phone call?"

I gave her a hard stare.

"As a matter of fact, I _was_ with a friend, and we didn't have access to a phone. Next time, I'll check in."

She blinked in disbelief, then her frown deepened.

"Bullshit there'll be a next time! You're grounded, and I forbid whatever it is that's going on with you!"

"You can't forbid something you are ignorant of," I replied, slipping past her when her jaw dropped indignantly.

"Well _I just did_! Whatever it is, whoever you were with, it stops now! You were _gone_ overnight! I couldn't even feel you anywhere for awhile! What were you doing? Who were you with?" She had turned to face me and I took careful, measured steps towards the stairs.

"Both are questions I don't plan to answer, so you may as well give it up." I half expected her to hit me, and I was dearly wishing I had stayed at Urameshi's. I had too much to think about to be bothered with this trivial nonsense.

"Well you can think about that from your room honey," she growled as I turned away to go up the stairs, "because you're not going _anywhere_ but school and back home until I get some answers."

I felt the slightest tick in the back of my mind, my foot stopping as it touched the first step. My neck twitched, my next breath coming in sharply. I turned to her, my eyes narrowed and my clenched fists hidden in the folds of my skirt.

"I don't have the time or inclination to play house with you, Shizuru," I said with a biting cold, all my collected irritation at her coming out in frosty low tones. She blinked in shock. "What I do on my own time is none of your concern, and I'm afraid your Mother Complex only works on Kazuma. You. Are not. Mother. I suggest you leave parenting to actual parents, and stop trying so hard to be her."

I turned, walking quietly up the stairs as I left my sister behind, her silence satisfying.

"You'll die in exactly the same way, so really, you're already enough alike."

She did not follow. She did not say anything, and I was thankful. Thinking about her trying to fill a role that needs no filling, trying to take control over me… she is not my mother. She has no control, and for her to insist on an inadequate and inaccurate representation of our mother is insulting.

As though I even need a mother.

… I don't.

…

… But Kurama…

_-Several hours before…-_

_"Keep in mind that we are currently at peace," I reminded the demon with a saccharine smile. "Your cooperation would be beneficial at this time. I'm sure you have more information to offer us than you are aware."_

_His eyes did not waver, demeanor calm and collected._

_"I cannot do what you ask."_

_I was preparing to ask a very predictable question, one that involved the semantics of can't and won't, but I stopped, frowning slightly, because he truly meant that he cannot. His hard-set look betrayed little, and that alone gave me pause. If he was simply acting on a whim, or if he was somehow as terrible a criminal as Gouki, surely there would be something behind his eyes._

_But he was empty._

_It was as though the simple mention of returning the artifact took all emotion from him, leaving him stony, able to do what needed to be done. Would he need to clear his emotions if he were a monster? Would he not be angry, or overconfident that he could defeat me? Why would he steel his resolve, if he was a monster?_

_I relaxed, because my intentions had changed. Suddenly the rush died from my mind, my blood cooling, my desires falling to pieces. I did not want the mirror anymore. I wanted information. The barest flicker of suspicion was all he allowed when my shoulders fell, my head tilting curiously._

_"Why?" My confusion reflected on his face. He had clearly expected me to follow my demands with force. He was unprepared for genuine curiosity, and even less prepared for all the tension to suddenly fly out the window._

_"Why do you want to know?" he responded, and my brow furrowed._

_"Because I firmly believe that the ends justify the means. I've deduced there is a specific wish you intend to make on that mirror-" his eyes grew wide. "And a sacrifice that must be made. I want to know your wish, and the price you are willing to pay."_

_Green eyes flickered over me with interest, assessing, trying to pick out my lies. This time, however, he would find none._

_And now it was my turn to observe his hesitation, the secret bubbling under his skin that he held back with a thread. What wish was worth the pursuit of an entire world? World domination? Certainly nothing so mundane, he was too dignified for that. Immortality? He was a demon, any form of immortality is a birthright._

_He did not follow the rules of humanity that I knew. While others may find that disconcerting, I find it most fascinating. Anomalies like this are not to be destroyed- not before I can analyze and dissect every part of them first._

_He tilted his head, mimicking me._

_"Your loyalties…" he trailed off, the unspoken question reaching my ears._

_"Are to myself. Spirit World does not factor into the equation."_

_The answer… I'm unsure if it satisfied him or concerned him, but either way, the breath he released was one of resignation, or perhaps relief. It was difficult to tell with his energy clogging the room as it was. Not suffocating, but definitely palpable._

_He straightened up to his full height, hand falling from his pocket, empty._

_"My mother is dying."_

_…_

_Oh…_

_…_

_So then, he was one of those types of people._

_He was Yusuke's type._

_He read my face carefully, looking mildly startled when I looked away. Of course he was one of those types. Of course it was his mother, because I wasn't already contradicting myself to extremes. Why else would I have taken such a passive approach when dealing with him? Could I have sensed a kindred spirit in this demon? A monster with very few ties to humanity, perhaps just one, a mother, for instance._

_"Kuwabara-San?" He waited patiently while I warred with myself, but it was a brief battle, an uneven match where one army vastly overpowered the other._

_"What is the price for her life?" I asked quietly. He was silent for a moment, and I wondered if he had left without me hearing. I would not mind so much if he had._

_"My own." His response crashed over me, my thoughts screeching to a halt. Of course it was. Of course, because he was cut from the same cloth as Yusuke, the same admirable, honorable, beautiful cloth._

_What does it feel like to care so much for another person? What joys can one experience at the fulfilment of others desires? Those who would sacrifice themselves for the happiness of another, those lucky fool's who can claim to have such an incredible and unbelievable treasure as love…_

_I hate them, and I scorn their weakness._

_And I envy them._

_"Kuwabara-San!?" He sounded mildly alarmed, though such words I may not associate with someone quite as collected as he. Though, he may have sounded so due to the fact that I had turned away and begun walking back out the door._

_I stopped. I turned my head a fraction so that I could see him from my periphery._

_"Years ago, if I had been given the chance you have now… I believe I would have done the same." I heard his sharp intake of breath, yet still refused to look directly at him. "I could do no such thing now. I cannot boast the same depth of compassion for anyone I know. So understand I do this against my better judgement… Keep the mirror. I will collect it when your corpse has fallen of your own foolish design."_

_And with that, I left, slipping through the door with the swish of my red skirt. I crossed the short distance between myself and Botan, who had moved closer out of curiosity and looked mildly sheepish at having been caught pressing an ear against the wall. I was in no mood to berate her disobeying my orders, and simply nodded for her to follow me._

_"Well? How did it go?" she asked impatiently, and I shot her a glare from the corner of my eye._

_"We've come to an agreement," I told her, and the half-truths rolled off my tongue with ease. "I've decided his wish and the price that must be paid are acceptable. He will return the mirror to us in three days time, after his wish has been granted."_

_I might have smiled at the absolutely gobsmacked look on her face another time, but now, her lack of confidence in my decisions only brought anger._

_"You WHAT!?" I stopped, taking a threatening step forward. Despite her height over me, at least half a foot, she cowered, her hands splaying out behind her as though grabbing at her oar. I looked up at her with narrow eyes. Useful or not, she was quite irritating._

_"I spoke with the demon, and determined that he is telling the truth," I said slowly. "If there is an issue with my decision, you are more than welcome to speak with him yourself." She gulped, and I nodded, satisfied. "Then this is the end of the conversation."_

_I began walking again._

_"But what is his wish? What's the cost!? You can't just keep me in the dark like this!" I stopped again, turning my head to smirk at her._

_"Oh, can't I? That seems to be a running theme with Spirit World. Why should I not reciprocate the lack of communication?"_

_She looked incensed, and I frowned, focusing on a spot just over her shoulder._

_"What?" I asked, though my earlier irritation vanished the moment I locked onto miserable green eyes. Truly, I'm not sure how I didn't see before how sad he was. It was in his every movement, in his smooth tenor that sifted through all other sounds like sand in an hourglass. He was in pain._

_Botan turned, her 'eep' of fright unimportant as Kurama walked past her without acknowledgement, handing me a folded piece of paper. I accepted it with both hands.  
_

_"You dropped this," he said by way of explanation, then turned, gave Botan a respectful bow, and walked away. I held the paper in my hands, fingers pinching the thin material, warm from his skin. The ferry girl did not relax her skeletal form until he was gone from her sight. I did not look at the note before putting it away in my pocket and resuming my journey back to the gates of the school._

_"Hold on!" Botan jogged to catch up with me, her fearful eyes wide. "What was that all about?"_

_I shrugged._

_"You heard him, I dropped something."_

_"What did you drop?"_

_"My shopping list."_

Yu-Urameshi was waiting for us just outside the gate. We had returned to his home, and only then had I opened the note, seen the address, and made plans for that night, 72 hours from then

We would be meeting at a hospital. _The_ hospital, actually. I wondered if the demon had conspired with the universe to make this the most coincidental mission of my life. However, he did not seem to be the type, and the pain in his eyes was genuine.

He also did not seem to be the type that might choose such a location, full of vulnerable and pitiful meat shields, to gain an advantage. Such a thing would hardly stop me anyways, which he surely must have deduced.

After school, when those three days were up, I met Urameshi there in Kaidan, Botan hovering above him. She had returned to her reaper form, so I could assume she was not going to accompany us. That was acceptable, as she would be of little use anyways.

"_Please_ be careful you two," the ferry girl cautioned us as we set off. "There's no telling what sort of mischief that demon could be up to."

"Yeah yeah, we'll be walking on eggshells." He waved dismissively, eliciting a worried look from the reaper. I lifted my hand in farewell, trotting after my partner as we began our trek. His hands folded behind his head in a faux relaxed position, eyes staring thoughtfully into the faded blue sky. I walked beside him, watching him from the corner of my eye.

We hadn't spoken in three days, my proclivity for introverted behavior making it so that I only socialize when absolutely necessary. As such, neither of us had caught up on potential details we may have overlooked. I should make more of an effort to speak to him, at least in regards to our missions.

After all, if what Koenma's doctor implied was correct, being around Yus-Urameshi could actually help to lessen the side effects of my… handicap. Being near him, making 'friends' with him could overall benefit me, and by extension, my brother.

"Hey… do you trust this guy?" I blinked at his sudden question, looking at him fully now as we walked.

"Define trust," I said, and he frowned in thought.

"I mean, do you think he's telling the truth about… well, about giving up the mirror? I mean, maybe it's all a trap. Who sets up a meeting at a hospital anyways?" They were valid questions, and reminded me that for some reason I could not fathom, I had refrained from telling either Botan or Urameshi the reason Kurama had stolen the mirror in the first place. Perhaps it was sentiment, keeping such a dear secret which was not mine to tell. Or perhaps I knew that if that particular information got back to Spirit World, Kurama might not succeed.

"In that case… yes, I do trust him," I said after a moment's consideration. "Despite the means he used to obtain the artifact, I do not believe him to be the monster Spirit World claims he is."

Urameshi nodded, looking contemplative.

"Well, if _you_ say so, it's probably true." I was startled, my head swinging around in his direction when he said that. My puzzlement must have amused him, because he grinned, mirth lighting up his eyes.

"You're the smart one remember? You saw through Koenma like that-" he snapped to emphasize his point. "If you say this guy's good to go, he's probably good to go."

I hummed in acknowledgement of his faith in me, and I won't deny feeling somewhat pleased that I had earned his trust. _It would be best,_ I thought to myself, _to maintain that trust._ He is a useful ally, and not entirely unpleasant. Perhaps being his friend would be less challenging than I thought.

The hospital loomed before us, a gargantuan grey headstone with too many names to count, and countless bodies underneath. It rose above the neighboring buildings like a tsunami waiting for the breath of silence before it crashed to the ground below. It cut an imposing figure against the afternoon sky, taunting my memories, coaxing them to the surface, forcing me to relive the moments that broke my soul, and destroyed my life.

"Good, you came."

Kurama stood just outside the glass doors, leaning against the wall. He pushed away as we walked closer. Urameshi tensed, and I banished the troublesome thoughts, focusing instead on the red-haired demon before us. We stopped just at the sidewalk and I offered him a short bow of greeting. He returned the gesture with an inclination of his head, weary eyes decorated with an equally tired smile.

"We did. I trust our arrangement still stands," I said with a slight lift to my tone. The demon nodded.

"Of course. Once I make my wish, the mirror is yours."

I said nothing, giving Urameshi a chance to get involved as I knew he wanted to do. He did not disappoint, crossing his arms and squaring up against the taller Kurama with his best punk glare.

"So what exactly is your wish? And why would you just let us take it back? Maybe we could just make a wish to undo yours." His comment was born of ignorance, but it didn't stop the glint of feral fury in Kurama's eyes. He looked to me, his expression losing some of its ferocity in favor of confusion.

"You did not tell them?" He seemed genuinely mystified, and I shrugged.

"Only what they needed to know. The rest was unimportant."

He seemed to read more into my statement than I intended to convey, because the look of gratitude was certainly unwarranted, especially to the degree he expressed.

"Hold on a second," Urameshi rounded on me, eyes wide and furious. "You know what he's gonna wish for? Why didn't you say anything!?" I gave him a deadpan stare.

"As I said, it was unimportant. I thought you trusted my judgement," I reminded him, and he turned away with a pout, glaring at me from the corner of his eye most childishly.

"Yeah, but not if you're keeping secrets! We're a _team_!" I gave my head a tiny shake, advancing on the hospital doors.

"Perhaps we should go inside. Then you'll understand."

I didn't wait for them both to follow me, and I imagine they gave each other strange looks before jogging to catch up. They reached me as I made it to the front desk, and I stepped aside to let Kurama take the lead.

"Hello Aiko-San," Kurama said with a polite smile. I was momentarily caught off guard, as the expression was nearly enough to fool my eyes to perceive it as genuine. His societal mask was nigh flawless, something that made me quite jealous. The woman at the desk looked up, meeting his eyes with a pleasant smile of her own, if not a little sad.

"Shuichi-Kun, I was wondering if you would be coming today. You're a little later than usual." Aiko commented, shuffling the papers on her desk to find the sign in sheet. Kurama's smile grew a touch as he extended his hand in our direction.

"I've brought a couple of friends with me this time, is that alright?" I doubted anyone could refuse his saccharine tone, so purely innocent and polite. He was a perfect example of the Japanese aspiration, red hair aside. Part european, perhaps? Or maybe a symbol of his demonic nature.

Aiko looked at us, her eyes pausing on both of our faces for just a moment, and she smiled wider.

"Oh of course! I think that would be wonderful! It's so nice to see Shuichi-Kun getting some support from his peers- all the staff here worry about him." She was speaking directly to us now. Urameshi looked confused, not knowing what to say, so I returned a gracious smile of my own and bowed.

"Of course, we're here to help in any way we can."

Aiko signed us in, then we followed Kurama to the elevator, going so many floors up. It wasn't the same floor, that would be too coincidental. We stepped off and went so many rooms down before I was recognized.

"Kuwabara-Chan?" I flinched. I was hoping three years would have been enough to make them forget me. Alas, I'm not entirely forgettable, what with my unfortunately unique features. The two boys stopped shortly after I did, staring at me in question. I turned to face the young woman peering out from another room. Her pretty face was pinched, like she was trying to remember something, and I could see them moment she succeeded.

"It _is_ you, Hotaru-Chan," she breathed out, looking like I was the last thing she expected to see.

"Kaguya-San," I replied with a shallow bow. She returned it, her bangs falling from behind her ear. "How have you been?"

She didn't seem to be paying much attention to my words, looking over me with eyes over-analyzing as always. Out of them all, she was the most perceptive. While that may have been bothering normally, I had at one time appreciated her ability to read me like an open book. Impressionable and lonely young girl that I was, she was the only nurse to make me smile in this death-place.

"I've been well. And you…" She paused, a brief smile flashing over her features. "You cut your hair." I fabricated a polite smile.

"You've a decent memory." My compliment fell on deaf ears, and she spoke as though I had said nothing.

"It suited you better long." Another thing I appreciated about Kaguya was her honesty.

"Kazuma thinks so also." She latched onto that conversation point, and I regretted bringing my brother up.

"How is your brother? Your sister? I only ever saw your father after-" her eyes flickered to the two boys standing just behind me. "...after it was all over. How has everyone been holding up?" She looked concerned, and I made my smile a little more gentle.

"Everyone adapted well. We found a new routine to keep us busy. We hardly noticed the difference." A lie for sure, but one that I hoped would end the conversation more quickly. I had come here for an entirely different mother this time. However, Kaguya's brow only furrowed slightly. A moment later, she gave me a sad smile.

"You're a much better liar now." I froze, my smile feeling more like a grimace.

"Apparently not _that_ much better."

"Well, it wasn't a very good lie to begin with, no matter how you say it."

We stood there at an impasse, staring across the hallway at each other. She looked at me then, and I could tell she was a bit more guarded now, her eyes betraying her mistrust. She was always quick to catch on. I allowed my smile to drop, looking at her blankly. Eventually, she turned to go back inside the room.

"I suppose, it was good to see you…" she trailed off. I raised a brow skeptically. "You'll give everyone my best wishes, won't you?"

"If I remember," I shrugged. "I'm busy at the moment."

She nodded in hesitant understanding, bidding me a quiet farewell before she disappeared. I appreciated her discretion, if nothing else, and turned back to face Kurama and Yu-_Urameshi_. They were both staring at me, the pity in their eyes, curiosity on Urameshi's part, irritating me to no end. I walked past them a little ways then stopped with an impatient frown.

"Are we going or not?"

Again, the two boys shared a glance, and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. I'm not sure how I felt about their subtle communications, considering they seemed to be mostly regarding myself. Quickly enough however, Kurama took the lead again, bringing us not too much further before we stopped at our destination.

The room was decently sized, with large windows making up the majority of the far wall. There was a television on a stand, but it was coated in a fine, thin layer of dust, the kind that accrues over the course of a week when something is left completely untouched. The blue walls were accented by white trim, bare and impersonally sparse, save for a single photograph on the bedside table, and a vase full of flowers that seemed freshly picked, or like they had grown there in the vase. The picture faced away from the door, perfectly visible to the woman sleeping on the hospital bed.

The door clicked shut behind us loudly after we filed into the room, Kurama moving around to come to the woman's bedside. She woke immediately, though without any movement or noise, and the moment dark blue eyes locked onto the demon, she smiled.

"Hey there." Her voice was weak, frail, scratchy like it hadn't been used in days. It was also warm… comforting, concealing an underlying joy at seeing her son. She was, by many standards, a beautiful woman, with graceful features and fluid movements as she brought herself to sit up. She fixed Kurama with the gaze only a mother could ever achieve, full of both adoration and gratitude. Hair as dark and reflective as raven feathers was tied back loosely, thick bangs framing her forehead.

Her face was well-proportioned, her skin pale, eyes bright and lively despite her clear illness, her voice soft, and weak. So, so weak.

"It's been such a long time since you've brought friends," she continued in her warm, raspy voice. "In fact, I don't remember anyone…" Frail, fragile, delicate, her voice sounded like one wrong touch could shatter her into a thousand pieces.

Kurama took a quick step forward as she lifted herself up more, holding out his hands as if to catch her.

"It's alright mother! You don't have to sit up." Hearing the absolute worry in his voice was not nearly a surprise to me as it may have been to Urameshi. I could tell from the moment she looked at him that she was, for all intents and purposes, his mother. In his eyes, I'd wager my life I would find the same look- the look of a truly loving son.

"Oh, it's not so bad. I'm feeling well today." The lie came accompanied by a shaky breath, though her smile did not dim from weariness or pain. That did not detract from her sickly state, however. She was weak, so weak, disgustingly pathetic, disgustingly human-

She turned her eyes to us, a welcoming and warm look on her face. I schooled my features quickly, feeling them growing darker with each word she spoke.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" Kurama's demure smile never faltered as he extended his hand towards us.

"Of course, this is Kuwabara Hotaru, and Urameshi Yusuke." I bowed, not the shallow, polite one that was the norm for me, but deep, so that my bangs hung like streamers, anything to hide my face for a moment so I wouldn't have to gaze upon this embodiment of powerlessness. I gave Urameshi's shin a sideways kick when he did not immediately follow my lead, and he bowed hurriedly, shooting me a glare when his face was hidden from view.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Minamino-San." I should have asked Kurama her given name to add to authenticity. Ah well, I'll make do. "Shuichi-Kun told us he would be visiting you today, and I admit, we wanted to meet his infamous mother."

She blinked in surprise, then let out an airy, delicate laugh. I winced, only because her eyes were closed and she would not see.

"Oh goodness, just what _has_ he been telling you?" I manufactured a mischievous smile over my disdain, leaning towards her in an almost secretive manner.

"Having to put up with him for fifteen years can't have been easy, I'm sure! He must have been just as troublesome in his youth as he is now." She laughed again and I felt Kurama giving me a hard stare behind his placid smile. It was a warning. _Don't mess this up._

"Well, we had our difficulties," she admitted, reaching for Kurama's hand. "But I think we worked through everything. He's a good boy."

His smile once again softened when he looked at her.

"I try," he said quietly. She hummed, then looked back at us curiously.

"Forgive me, but you don't seem to be friends from school. How did you meet?" Kurama tensed. I would have also, if I hadn't come prepared with a lie. With a bright grin, I placed my hands behind my back to add youthful innocence to my figure.

"Yusuke and I go to Sarayashiki in Kaidan. Our school's Gardening Club lost a competition with Meiyo's, so we started hounding Shuichi for tips on our own garden. I guess after, we just started hanging out in less official capacities. Right, Yusuke?" I glanced to my right where Urameshi was staring at me, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.

"Umm, yeah, right… I like… plants and dirt and… stuff," He stuttered weakly, and Kurama swooped in immediately with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry mother, Yusuke just isn't use to being the center of attention. He's quite shy." At this point, it was myself and Kurama trading amused glances at Urameshi's expense, and his withheld ire was worth it. The woman stifled a small giggle, and I nearly smirked at how perfectly that had played out. It seemed so authentic, especially with Urameshi looking away with that blush, real or not.

"Shall I peel an apple for you?" Kurama offered, already on his way to the cabinets to the side of the door. His mother waved a delicate hand, gesturing for him to stop. The pathetic creature couldn't sustain herself. It's a wonder she lived this long.

"No, it's alright. I'm not hungry." If she became any more anemic, she might keel over on the spot, and his wish would be for naught. Of course, it may be anyways.

"Please eat, mother. You'll never get well without nutrition," Kurama scolded, but his concern and rank fear overpowered what authority he may have had. His mother, whether she sensed this or not, only humored his request with an apologetic look.

"Yes, of course, it's just hard to remember all these things Shuichi." My nose twitched, wanting to wrinkle as I watched her coyly shoot Urameshi and I a wink. Abhorrent. She was dying here before him, the least she could do was take his advice and have some chance at regaining whatever strength made him so attached to her! Instead she merely toyed with him, brushing off his words, not even trying.

"Well please try," Kurama said, seemingly placated for now, the fool. "I _need_ you to get better."

_You need her to die._ It's what I was thinking, but I'd rather not risk a fight with the demon by speaking my mind at this moment.

We sat there, idle conversation involving our perfectly legitimate garden club taking up much of the time while Kurama peeled and sliced the apple for his mother. It was amusing when Urameshi occasionally chimed in, the extent of his herbal knowledge reaching astoundingly low heights. It was easy enough to pass this off as him simply being shy, and assuring Shiori- I read her name off one of the conveniently placed medical charts- that he was a talented landscaper and florist.

All awful things must come to an end, of course, as Shiori encouraged Kurama to leave her and "spend more time with your friends." It did her well to see him happy, and she seemed to prefer he not be around her in her state, or so I inferred.

And so, we somehow ended up on the roof, listening to his thankfully brief life story. He could have left after ten years of living as a human. But he didn't.

"I take it something went wrong," Urameshi guessed after Kurama had finished his tale. Kurama glanced at the two of us over his shoulder. I stood behind my partner, only half listening. I didn't bother to look at him, staring over the horizon to the slowly setting red sun.

"My mother fell ill. I know it might sound foolish, but… I couldn't leave her, considering what she had done for me." I closed my eyes, his statement bothering me. In the back of my brain there was the smallest of twitches, and I grit my teeth to keep from snapping some cruel insult his way.

"That's when _they_ appeared. Hiei had tracked me down, needing my expertise, and I remembered the powers of the forlorn hope." The sound of clothing rustling was all that followed, and I imagined him staring at said object, the light glinting in the sunset, casting strange shadows on his face.

"Did you know in some species, a child eats its mother?" His question was rhetorical, but I'd been silent for too long, treacherous thoughts festering unhealthily inside. I had to say something, anything, to keep my irrational anger in check.

"Matriphagy," I supplied, and I felt them both looking at me. "Mother eating. It's quite common among spiders. Lucky you're a fox." I turned my head, glaring from the corner of my eye.

He nodded uncertainly.

"Please, let me use the powers of the forlorn hope to save the woman's life. Then, I will gladly return it to you." Did he plan on revealing the cost to Urameshi? It certainly didn't sound that way.

"Why would a monster do that for a human?" Urameshi's question touched something, the smallest switch in my brain, and I snapped my head back around, staring into the sun to keep myself frozen on the spot.

"I don't know," Kurama replied, and I heard him moving closer. "Maybe because I'm guilty. Maybe I feel like I am one of those mother-devouring creatures." He stopped a little ways behind me. I could feel his stare boring into me like a thousand angry bees.

"I've caused her great pains. It's hard raising a child who thinks your inferior. I feel I broke her spirit, like maybe, in some way, I caused her disease. You understand that, don't you." It was not a question, but a statement, and it was directed at me.

"I did, once," I replied, and I could hold myself in no more. I channeled the rage into one of the other outlets, humor. It was easy enough to falsify once you've observed it a few times. So I sneered cruelly, turning to him with malicious eyes.

"You're no monster, _Youko_, you're a fool!" He looked taken aback, taking a step away towards Yusuke. The other boy looked just as shocked. I shook my head with a deranged grin.

"Don't act like you're some noble hero. You _must_ see you're doing this to make _yourself_ feel better." He looked appalled, but I didn't stop there. "You'll feel _so_ _good_ knowing you'll be giving her back her life, won't you? But really, you'll be leaving her behind as weak as she is now, a simple, useless human, only now, she'll have lost the only thing she truly loved. _You_."

I threw back my head, forcing the anger to morph into mad cackling.

"You absolute _idiot_! She's weak! You are saving her life now, yes, but tomorrow she could be hit by a car. She could take up smoking when you're gone and die of lung cancer. She could even be murdered by demons, _don't you see!?_" Why couldn't he see? Why was he so adamant about saving her? She was nothing! "But you are strong. You are _useful_. You would not succumb to the mundane nature of a human death. She is a weakness to you, one that could be exploited time and time again. She already was, you know. It was her condition that forced you to accept Hiei's offer. It was your love, and _care_ for her that delivered two dangerous weapons into the hands of a threat to this world."

I turned to face him, not minding the darkness in his gaze. Let him be angry! Let him share that inconvenience.

"She is weak, and a weakness like that must be discarded. You should let her die." I grinned widely, somehow staring him down despite his height over me. "Perhaps when this is all over, I'll kill her _myself_, and where would you be then? What will you have achieved when I stand over both your rotting co-"

_CRACK!_

… … …

I stared wide eyed at the ground, my head snapped to the side by the force of the hand that struck it. My cheek stung, and my ear was ringing from the sound. I hadn't noticed Yusuke advancing on me until his palm connected with my face. I could see the green of his uniform in my periphery, drowned in the red from the light of the fading sun.

_"What the hell is wrong with you!?"_

… And there was nothing.

My anger hadn't been spent, it had been vanished. There was nothing left in me that meant or believed anything I had said. I was empty as the day my own mother died, and it disturbed me when I finally arrived at the understanding, when the realization truly hit me, that despite the years, and everything that had happened…

I still mourned my mother.

More than that, I mourn the life that could have been with her, and without me. She would be there for Kazuma. He wouldn't need me, and he wouldn't be in danger from me. There would be no risk of me ending him for being unhappy. He would have a perfectly sane, normal, loving mother to turn to when life became too much for him. She would never consider leaving him alone for her own benefits. She would support him, be a pillar for him, not seek out and eliminate the threats in the darkness. She would show him she loved him. She could have shown me…

I looked up, meeting Kurama's eyes. They were torn between fury and shock, emerald flames threatening to set me ablaze. I tilted my head.

"No matter what happens, she dies," I said, and my voice was soft, fragile, weak, just like Shiori's. "When you're gone, it will kill her inside. That's what you do when you save her. You only cause her more pain. Isn't it better for you to be the one to live with that pain? Isn't it better to spare her more suffering? She loves you."

A quiet gasp caught in his throat. I pressed on.

"If you do this, you'll truly break her. She will wonder for the rest of her life why she was spared and her son, her beloved child, was taken. She will wither, and grow bitter, full of hate and anger, and die alone. Is that a fate you wish for her, or would you rather take that on yourself?"

Yu-Urameshi took a step forward, raising his hand threateningly. I looked him in the eye then, a coldness settling over me. He paused, eyes growing wide.

"Would you do that to your mother again, Urameshi?"

He froze, opened his mouth, but never got a chance to respond as the door to the roof burst open, a nurse looking around frantically.

"Shuichi! It's your mother!"

There was a beat of silence, then I was suddenly alone. Kurama sprinted towards the door, fear written on every facet of his face. Urameshi was hot on his heels. I watched them go, the door slamming shut behind them, leaving me completely alone on the rooftop. I turned to face the sunset once more, sitting down on the very edge of the flat-topped building, my feet dangling over the side. I leaned over, my position precarious at best. One particularly strong gust of wind, one slight push, and not even I would survive that fall.

Of course, that's a silly way to die. I wouldn't subject Kazuma to seeing my remains as little more than splatter paint on the pavement. That might break his already delicate psyche for good.

No, but I may jump, simply out of sheer embarrassment. What had overcome me then? When was the last time I'd experienced such powerful rage? It had to have been since the night of my First. Even the anger that precluded The Rush was nowhere near that level of intensity. I don't remember my theatrics ever going to that extent to seem clinically insane. Perhaps this time, it wasn't an act. Perhaps what I was saying was completely true, but somehow I didn't believe that. It didn't seem logical to me. Why should I care who lives and dies in the world? It doesn't affect me, not even a little bit.

_Perhaps, and this is grasping for straws, but perhaps it was because our stories are so similar._

Similar? How?

"I thought I might find you up here." Kaguya's voice startled me, but I don't jump. I turned to see her now standing in the open doorway, a look of concern on her face. My self reflection would have to wait, it seemed.

"What do you want?" She raised a brow at my lack of propriety, but to be frank, I no longer had the energy to falsify caring. She paused, seemed to think over my attitude, and apparently decided it wasn't enough of a warning for her to heed, closing the door and moving to sit beside me, right on the ledge.

"I thought I would let you know, your friend Shuichi's mother has been moved to the ICU. It's likely she's going to die tonight." I scoffed.

"Don't count on that," I told her. I didn't see her face, too focused on the falling sun. "Now, what do you _really_ want?"

She sighed, I imagined she looked as pitying as she sounded. I didn't want to see looks like that anyways.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of your friends, especially poor Shuichi, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay with you. I was worried something had happened." I raised a brow, turning my head just a touch to view her from my periphery.

"What would make you think that?" I asked, and she took a breath to steady herself. For a moment, I considered ending the conversation. The fastest way would simply be to push her off, but there were too many variables. She could grab onto me and drag me down as well, and there was the off chance she would grab onto a window sill or something, maybe land on a balcony before she hits the ground. I decided it wasn't worth it.

"About a week after… your mother passed, Shizuru called the hospital looking for you. She thought maybe you had come to see me since we became so close. I was worried you'd run away." I blinked. I hadn't known that. Shizuru never mentioned doing much more than walking around the neighborhood with a flashlight. I briefly wondered how many other places she had called.

"I went for a walk," I told her. "I got a cat, then I went back home." Technically, it wasn't a lie, and I could feel her trying to figure out the truth in my assertion.

"A cat? I didn't know you liked cats." I raised a brow at her, finally looking her in the eye.

"You knew me for a total of six months, I'd wager there's quite a lot you don't know about me." I faked a grin, sarcasm dripping from my every word. "Maybe I stole the cat and killed the owner, and you'd be none the wiser."

The pity in her gaze reminded me why I had resisted looking at her, and I looked away quickly with a frown. She reached out, taking my hand in hers. Her skin was soft, fingers caressing over my knuckles in a soothing way. Or it would be soothing, if I wasn't so acutely aware of the way she was so clearly psychoanalyzing every word that came out of my mouth. Her hand was simply meant to be a distraction.

"You're lashing out," she told me. "Your friend in the green seemed pretty unhappy with you. I'm not going to ask what you fought about, but I think being here again under such similar circumstances is bringing back some unpleasant thoughts, am I right?" I barked a derisive laugh, glaring disdainfully at the sunset.

"You've been here four years at least and you still haven't finished your degree. Perhaps the reason for that is you can only pick out what is so plainly obvious to your patients. Did you think the idea hadn't already occurred to me, that I'd suddenly have an epiphany and race down to apologize to those idiots?"

She was silent, and I felt quite proud of my own analysis. Her nametag still read RN, not the PsyD that she had been striving for since before I'd first met her. Perhaps she'd endured some tragedy or setback, but that hardly mattered to me. Failure is failure, and I would exploit and use that any way I could.

"I think I can understand why he hit you." My eyes widened and I couldn't stop my head when it whipped around, blinking owlishly at her. The pity was still there, but it was overshadowed by the disappointment, the frown lines in her face evidence that something I'd said, at least minutely, had touched a sore spot. That was only a minute success, as that pain wasn't even close to derailing her line of questioning.

"Your cheek is red. Shuichi is too even-tempered to ever do something like that, so I'm assuming it was your other friend." Her grip on my hand tightened. "I'm not going to ask _what_ you said. But if I may ask, why?"

I pursed my lips, thinking back on the scenario with my calm calculation that I had somehow lost before.

"I've been so far removed from my own mothers death, I thought it didn't bother me anymore. It's been so long, and I've hardly ever thought of her. Somehow, seeing Shiori there, as pathetic as she is, it made me think back. I don't recall my mother ever being so disgustingly feeble, and I don't remember ever being willing to trade my own life for hers." I stopped, realizing I was straying a little too close to the truth. Kaguya seemed to understand, at least to some extent.

"Well, you're older now, and the scenario is different. Your perceptions now and then are vastly different. … Did Shuichi say something about trading his life for hers?" she asked slowly, and I shrugged.

"It's not really something I could remember wanting. Perhaps if I'd had the opportunity, I would have. But for him to so openly say it, to declare that his love for her is so strong…" I shook my head, not sure how to finish my thoughts.

But Kaguya did.

"You're jealous."

I stopped, thinking about it for a moment, then nodded.

"I am, aren't I. I think I already knew that too." She didn't say anything for a while, and I didn't feel the need to break the silence. She was successful in her deduction, and I imagine that must make her feel proud.

Or perhaps, she was the rare kind of person that didn't feel such things upon these realizations. Despite her success in breaking my mind down, I think she must be feeling sorry for me, or trying to find a way to help me. Yes, that sounded more like Kaguya. She cared for people, even near strangers like me. Then again, we weren't truly strangers,

I didn't necessarily feel bad about calling her out on her failure, but a part of me was curious. She was intelligent, more so than many other nurses I'd met. She was driven, capable, competent, and had quite the capacity to care about other human beings. The evidence does not support the conclusion.

"Even if you already know something," she began, and I found myself listening intently. "Sometimes it helps when you say it out loud, or hear someone else say it. It makes it seem more real, like a problem you can actually fix."

She paused.

"I'm not saying you should run down and apologize right now, but…" She trailed off with a delicate smile.

"Why didn't you complete your degree?" My question startled her, and her initial offended look faded when she realized was only curious, not baiting her like before.

"Ah… well, it's a little expensive now, isn't it?" She smiled, and I made sure to express on my face that I was entirely unconvinced.

"You can take out loans." She shrugged, moving to rise. I blinked, and my eyes grew wide with a subdued rage as I realized she was leaving my question unanswered. It wasn't fair that she could read me, yet I lacked the comprehension skills to understand her motives.

"Kaguya!" I stood, glaring after her, but she had already opened the door and was staring wide-eyed at something beyond the threshold. That something was wearing seafoam green, and was stuttering an excuse. She bowed with a polite smile, excusing herself before stepping around Yusuke and heading down the stairs.

His black head of hair peeked around the door frame, eyes cautious. He stepped out after a moment like a wild animal keeping a close eye on a predator that may or may not be hungry. I traded my glare for a carefully blank look, waiting until Kaguya's footsteps had faded from my hearing before I spoke.

"How is Kurama?" Yus-_Urameshi_ blinked, looking taken aback.

"He's, uh… he's good. He's not mad, if that's what you mean." I raised both brows with a hum.

"Surprising." The boy nodded in agreement, guarded eyes assessing me up and down. He gestured vaguely to the door, arm flailing helplessly.

"We should… go?"

"We should."

* * *

**If we're noticing parallels between Hotaru and Kurama in this chapter, good. Those are intentional parallels, so leave them be please. I also noted that she was extremely hypocritical in this chapter, referring to Shiori as a weakness that Kurama can't afford, while she simultaneously has her brother, who she very nearly died for. Is it love? Maybe, maybe not, who knows.**

**Obviously there are differences between Shiori and Kuwabara. Namely, one is a sickly woman while the other is a badass punk who can hold his own in just about any situation thus far. However, both are their respective loved one's choke point, their one weakness, the only thing that keeps them tethered to life, love, and sanity. The loss of that person...**

**Is worth exploring, actually. hm...**

**So if you liked, leave a review, pretty please. If you have issues with the story or questions, I'll address them, if I can safely do so without spoliers of course. I understand that we all think differently, and things that make sense to me may not make sense to you, and vise versa. If something doesn't make sense and you're invested, please, leave a review! We authors live for reviews, they really do make our day. **

**I will say, if all you're going to do is tell me how much the story sucks, please just leave. You have the right to your opinion, but please remember that we are people too, and we do not receive monetary compensation for this. We write for fun, and we don't demand anything of you, not your attention or your time. That being said, I appreciate criticism, so feel free to point out my flaws!**

**Meow for now.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey. It's Wednesday. You know what that means!**

**This chapter had a major facelift, as well as some gigantic breast implants to give it a little more of a defined figure. Basically, I doubled its size because it was pathetically short, and I really needed a way to work certain things in. So yeah, this gave me no end of trouble. It is still a lot shorter by word count, but it reached the 20-page mark on the google-docs, so I'm calling it good.  
**

**No gore-fest this week, just some clean fluffy bonding after that emotional wreck last week. Sort of. It's fluffy by _my_ standards, okay? And considering the logistics of my eventual romance, this is about as nice and wholesome as it gets, for the most part. Anything involving Kuwabara is just fluffy and warm by default, so it doesn't really count as my style of fluff. **

**Anyways, I'm rambling. On with the "sho."**

* * *

_Forgo family, forgo friends._  
_It's how it started, how it ends._  
_I can't open up and cry,_  
_'Cause I've been silent all my life._  
_I feel numb most of the time._  
_The lower I get the higher I'll climb,_  
_And I will wonder why_  
_I got dark only to shine._  
_Looking for the golden light._  
_Oh it's a reasonable sacrifice._  
_Burn, burn, burn bright._

_\- Numb- Marina Diamandis_

**We Surprise Even Ourselves Sometimes**

_If death is inevitable, why do we try so hard to avoid it? Why do we worry and fear for our safety, when we will eventually succumb to time, and to injuries of the body and mind? More to the point, what is the purpose of self preservation if one may so willingly ignore it in favor of another? Those self sacrificing fools, who place the deaths of others of greater importance to stop than their own, deliver themselves to death in the places of others who would not do the same._

_If death is inevitable, how then can it be resisted? Imagine how death may feel, were it a being, when the living take matters into their own hands to thwart it, to make the inevitable obsolete. What would death think of medical advances, or court proceedings ruling a stay of execution? I would think death, might hate us who live, simply for the fact that we fear and despise it without fully understanding its purpose._

_If death is inevitable, what could possibly be done to circumvent it? It is indiscriminate, fair in its perceived villainy. Death must feel truly shunned when blamed for stealing away another you love. Death has its purpose, does its job as every other incorporeal, inescapable truth. It cannot help its nature as the end of all things, and we cannot change that which is destined to be for all that lives._

_Yet, we fight it._

…

Kurama knelt on the concrete of the roof, hand hovering over the mirror, obscuring the light of the full moon. Urameshi and I stood behind him, our attention solely on the soon-to-be-deceased demon. My partner shook beside me, from the chill of the wind, I thought.

"It isn't fair," he ground out through gritted teeth. He wasn't cold, he was angry.

"No, it really isn't," I replied lowly, thinking quietly of poor misunderstood death, and how it had been denied the natural order. I would not say that to him. I had enough self control for that, at least, even if I lost it somewhere along the way. He was angry enough with me.

"Forlorn Hope, I ask you to wake from your sleep and hear my plea," Kurama began, and I sighed quietly. There would be no salvaging this one. Perhaps I could convince Spirit World to let me keep the body. His anatomy must surely be an interesting thing. "Reflect my greatest desire so that you can make it true."

Then again, it might be considered disrespectful, considering the manner of his death. Urameshi would likely raise concerns. Best not to let him know.

As I watched I felt the air temperature drop dramatically, the wind picking up in an almost theatrical way. It tossed Kurama's hair about like a cape, my own short enough to be only ruffled like downy feathers.

The mirror itself cast off an ethereal light that stretched up to the clouds, never extending past the boundaries set by the glass. The beam was broken only by Kurama's hand, which now met with the smallest of sparks. Black tendrils, wickedly curved, whipped around the mirror like ribbons of pure nonexistence. They curled around the demons body, as though he were a past of the Forlorn Hope himself.

I was not expecting the voice that answered him. It was soft, yet magnified to the point of shouting through a megaphone. It was neither male nor female, but sounded distinctly ancient, and cold. It was the voice one might expect an executioner to have, the kind that killed you kindly with a swift slice to the back of the neck after telling you to look away.

**"The happiness of this woman. Is that what you desire?"** The voice echoed in its own dimension, carrying the same reverberation that I heard among ghosts and the lower-level demons.

"It is," Kurama replied, though his voice was lost over the rushing wind. Urameshi took a step forward, one arm up to block the light from his sensitive eyes. It was then I realized I'd been staring directly at it, yet the light had not been bothersome at all. I might think that was strange if there weren't more pressing matters.

"Kurama, come on! Can't you just hold on a second so we can work things out? I mean there's gotta be some other way to do this!" I grabbed his arm, but he only shook me off. Kurama, looking resolutely down, did not bother to even glance at him.

"No," the fox said, and I could read his lips. "There is not."

**"To grant this wish, you must give your life. Is that what you desire?"** Was it? Truly? Or was it simply what he was willing to do. Death had been a long time coming to this demon, but did he long for it? Perhaps he did. Perhaps it was his time after all, Death coming to collect what it was owed. Urameshi took a step towards Kurama, halting as though in hesitation.

"If that is what will save my mothers life, then yes. It is." The boy took a step closer.

**"Then your desire… shall be fulfilled."** Urameshi was even closer, and it was at this time I began to understand what he was planning. The mirror's surface darkened, no longer showing a reflection, then from it sprung several clawing bolts of lightning, the volts shooting over Kurama's body like a second suit. He grunted, his face twisting in pain.

I couldn't stop what happened; he was too close, and I was too stunned by the sheer stupidity.

"Hey mirror guy! Can you hear me!?" Urameshi threw himself to his knees, hand over the mirror, and the power enveloped him too, the voltaic energy seeming to drain from Kurama and split into two streams. He didn't seem to notice the pain, glaring daggers at the Forlorn Hope, as though it were the mirror's fault all of this was happening.

"Urameshi _stop_!" I went ignored, or the wind took my voice. Either way, a spike of fear ran through me, keeping me in my place.

"There's gotta be another way," the boy pleaded as both the Demon and I looked on in astonishment. "Take someone else's life- take mine! That way he can live and still get his wish!"

_This doesn't make sense!_

"This doesn't make sense, it's my wish!" Kurama yelled furiously. "What about _your_ mother?"

"Urameshi- _Yusuke_! Please, just let the fox kill himself," I shouted. I begged. He would not listen. Why did they never listen?

"My mom has people. She's got Keiko and her family, she'll be okay. You're all your mom's got," Yusuke reasoned with a determined look, then glanced over his shoulder at me. "You'll take care of my mom, won't you Hotaru."

Not a question, but a request, and one that left me to fall to the ground in- no, wait, I wasn't falling. I was running, sprinting over toward their surprised faces. Falling and running felt so similar, and perhaps I was doing both as I dropped to my knees beside him.

"_NO_! I will _not_ allow you to do this to my brother again!" I shoved him aside, pushing my own hand into the crackling electrical field. The energy stabbed at my palm, wrapping around the fingers like sparking snakes, hissing and biting at my flesh.

The light reflected off two pairs of eyes, but I only paid heed to the brown ones, widened in shock and rage.

"What are _you_ doing!?" he shouted, echoing Kurama's words, but I looked away, turning my attention to the mirror.

"Forlorn Hope, listen to me!" I had to shout over the rushing wind that tore through my hair with cool claws. I had to shout, and do it quickly, before I came to my senses. "If you must take a life, then it will be mine."

A hand on my shoulder tried to shove me away and I grabbed for it, locking eyes with a distressed Urameshi.

"You can't do that! Think about your family!" I chuckled humorlessly, feigning a wry smile.

"I am. I'm little more than a ghost to them. They will be fine."

"But- Kuwabara!" I frowned, leaning close, close enough to feel his warmth without touching him. If these were my last moments, I would say my piece.

"Kazuma will survive without me. He won't without you." The roaring wind was too much, I had to shout the words that deserved to be whispered, but I have no doubt Kurama's sharp ears picked them up without issue. "I'm not essential to his life, but you are."

_Kazuma, struggling in his friends arms as he scrambled with all the grace of a wounded dog, reaching desperately for the coffin. Tears running down his cheeks as he screamed, and wept for the loss of the one who gave him purpose._

_Kazuma, head bowed and fist just barely touching the dummy tied to the tree, his shoulders shaking with sobs._

_Kazuma, taking beating after beating for his honor, with no one around to protect him. No one but a ghost._

_Kazuma, pure joy radiating from every fiber of his being upon seeing Urameshi… Yusuke, holding the kitten with a wild gleam in his eyes._

_Bodies. So many of them strewn about the city, all of them with my hands stained in their blood. What would he look like if he could see the bodies?_

I fell forward the rest of the way, laying my head between his neck and shoulder, my free hand grasping his sleeve in a pseudo-embrace.

"Yusuke, don't fail him," I said. It was a warning. His chest expanded rapidly and I heard him gasp, and yet another hand found purchase on my arm. I turned to Kurama, whose expression reflected the light with an almost fearful expression.

"Both of you, you can't-"

**"Your desires shall be fulfilled."**

Victorious, I let one small smile slip onto my face before we were overcome by a nuclear light, enveloping our bodies and cloaking us in white.

Then black.

… … …

My eyes snapped open.

I was immobile, though nothing trapped me. My mind raced with questions as I stared straight ahead of me, my eyes finding a pile of limbs clothed in green. He was not moving, not breathing. But he wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. He could not. Be. _Dead_. That wasn't how it ended.

He could not leave us again. It wasn't possible, completely against the very fabric of reality. Yusuke would not die, because I had traded my life for his. Without a second thought too. Why had I done that again? Kazuma, right.

But… I was alive.

"M-mother?"

There was shuffling just behind me, someone staggering away, then a door opening and closing loudly. Kurama was alive too. If he was alive, and I was alive, there was but one logical conclusion, and unfortunately for poor dear logic, it was completely impossible.

"Yusuke! Hotaru!" A high voice reached my ears, the flutter of cloth through the wind and someone landing between us, obscuring my view of the most definitely, completely alive Yusuke. Botan's terror-stricken magenta eyes flickered first to Yusuke, then to myself. She whimpered, reaching out to touch my shoulder, or grab my arm and haul me up. I'm not entirely sure. I didn't move.

"Hotaru, are you- oh please no!" Tears welled in her eyes and I blinked, finally able to move.

"Botan...Yusuke." She gasped, recoiling slightly. I could see him again, just to the other side of her.

"You're okay," she whispered, her face torn between relief and intense worry as she followed my gaze to the boy. "Oh, Yusuke…"

He cannot be dead, that_ isn't allowed._

A beat passed in silence.

Then with a grunt of pain, the body rose, pushing itself up to a seated position. As he moved, my limbs once again found purchase in the living world and followed suit, rising to meet him. The relief that filled the emptiness of my denial was welcome, but heavy. My shoulders sagged to accomodate for the weight of it.

"You absolute idiot," I muttered, never having looked away from his stupidly surprised face and his stupid eyes full of wonder and his stupid, stupid awed smile.

"Hey, I'm alive!" He looked over in my direction, momentary panic replaced with cheer. "So are you! And Kurama?" He cast his gaze around, but the demon was gone. The mirror glinted, though it hadn't been touched, hinting at the sentience of the artifact. I gave it my full attention as it was clearly demanding, and soon after, the others did as well.

**"You humans have impressed me,"** the mirror spoke, and the voice carried a hint of reverence.** "I found your willingness to sacrifice yourselves for the others to be admirable, a trait I have not often attributed to those who sought to use me. In honor of this, I have… split the difference, as it were. The three of you have left me quite content."** I detected a slight chuckle at the end before the mirror grew silent, and ceased to reflect the outside world.

That was… interesting. Our sacrifices made in the interests of saving each other had ultimately resulted in the sacrifices themselves being worthless. It didn't make much sense, but then again, neither did what both of us had done. I will continue to blame Urameshi for my lapse in judgement.

"Alright! That just means we have one more, then we're all set! And you," he turned to me, taking a step as his face melted into a frown. I hummed in question, completely unprepared when he raised his hand-

And hit me upside the head.

… … …

"Don't do something that stupid again, you hear me? I don't wanna explain to Kuwabara that his little sister died on my watch."

… … …

"Umm, Hotaru dear, are you alright?"

I turned my head slowly as his mistake actually caught up with my brain. Surely, he didn't actually touch me, did he? Even he wouldn't be so stupid as to lay a hand on me. He _must_ sense this was a terrible idea. But his expression remained dull, irritated even.

"What was that?" I gave him a moment to try and grasp the gravity of the situation. Somehow, the dunce was still unaware.

"You heard me dumbass, don't go pulling any stupid stunts like that again." I struck, my hand shooting forward to grab the front of his shirt. Botan let out a short yelp as my action pushed her out of the way, and I stared into wide brown eyes.

"Don't ever do that again, Urameshi."

I poured every ounce of venom I possessed into that warning. He had done enough since our association to save himself from immediate death, but a fool will always miss the obvious, and a saint would never lie.

Not that I was even remotely a saint.

He frowned.

"Jeez, alright crazy. Don't get your panties all bunched up," he muttered, audaciously smacking my hand away. "But I'm serious. Don't do stuff like that, I can't keep watching you all the time."

My eyes were blown wide, my mouth agape. He turned away, and I couldn't even muster enough outrage to grab at him again. I felt drained and embarrassed, and gods know I just wanted to go home. He just spoke to me like I was a helpless child, like _he_ was the one who was looking after _me_! But there was no way to retaliate without causing a scene. What would I say anyhow? That I would continue to do those stupid things?

That… that absolute buffoon!

_Unbelievable._

* * *

The phone ringing didn't quite wake Shizuru up, but it did startle her as she lay in her bed, staring blankly at the opposite wall. She couldn't sleep. Her sister was still gone, never having come home from school that day. Shizuru wanted to say she knew the small girl was alright, but…

She hadn't been able to sense her for hours now.

No matter where she was or who she was with (not that many people), the older woman always knew where her youngest sibling was. She'd made sure to keep close tabs on her after the first time she'd run away. Yet sometimes, something would obstruct her view, and it might take an hour until she could feel her sister again. In this way, she knew for certain that it wasn't Hotaru making the phone ring off the hook, which begged a simple question.

Who would be calling this late at night?

_Not Hotaru,_ she thought angrily to herself, restating what she already knew. _The brat's too independent._

There was only one way to know, but the bed was so warm…

Shizuru sighed, rolling out of bed and padding out her door to the landing. She picked up the phone on the third ring, hoping it had not woken her brother or father, and grumbled an irritated greeting into the speaker.

_"Is… is this Kuwabara Shizuru?"_

The woman raised a brow, shifting her weight onto one foot as she peered out the window into the street below, vague shapes illuminated by the full moon. None of them resembled a person, however, so she felt safe enough answering, confident there was no one watching her.

"Yeah, and who the hell is calling at fucking midnight?" She made sure to put enough menace in her tone to encourage the person- a woman by the sound of it- to not make that mistake again.

_"It's… Abe Kaguya. I'm a nurse at Sendai General."_

All at once, memories flooded Shizuru's mind of a smart young woman with a nice voice, certainly easy on the eyes with her pale complexion and perfect hair that Shizuru would have done anything to work with once upon a time.

Most importantly, however, were the memories that surfaced of that pretty woman sitting with her sister, comforting her, talking with her, making her laugh.

"Hey… Kaguya, wow. It's been a while." That delicate smile flashed across Shizuru's vision, and she shut her eyes tight, willing the image away.

_"Yes, it has."_ There was a pregnant pause, neither woman knowing quite how to salvage the awkwardness of the situation. _"I- I'm sorry for calling so late at night, I just thought I should let you know that Hotaru is okay."_

That got Shizuru awake, her posture straightening subconsciously and her eyes flying wide open.

"She's there?" the eldest sibling asked, a little too loudly for the time of night.

_"She came with a couple friends to visit one of their mothers."_

Shizuru's breath hitched and her head fell forward. She gave a subtle shake and her shoulders trembled. The kid really was with friends after all. And Shizuru had tried to prevent that. Tried to stop the antisocial little brat from actually branching out in a positive way.

Wait… one of their mothers?

"This friend, is their mother… like ours?" Obviously not exactly, Shizuru scolded herself for the open-ended question, but perhaps a similar situation involving mothers had made her little sister lash out. The loss had hit her harder than anyone else.

_"She's dying, if that's what you mean- or she was. She made a miraculous turn for the best tonight. I expect it will be in all the papers next week."_ Despite the surge of jealousy, Shizuru found it in herself to smile, and be happy for the other child.

"That's great, good to hear." Kaguya gave a breathless laugh on the other end of the line, one of mixed relief and fear.

_"It is. We'll be sending her home with her son soon enough, maybe two weeks f everything continues the way it is."_ A pause, then,_ "Hotaru mentioned she met this boy via the gardening club at school."_

Immediately, all the good feelings and forgiveness of her sister fled her in the wake of suspicion.

"Hotaru isn't _in_ the gardening club," she pointed out, and she wasn't even sure Sarayashiki had such a group. Kaguya sighed, and there was a rustle on her end, like she'd rubbed her face.

_"I thought as much. … But she was here for him, so don't be too hard on her, okay? That boy's been through so much, any support is a blessing."_

Shizuru thought on this, trying to make up her mind. Eventually, she settled on the fact that Hotaru wouldn't listen to her even if she did allocate punishment, so the next best thing was to praise her for being there for her friend… who Shizuru didn't even know had existed until now, and apparently there were _two_ friends.

"Right, we'll be fine."

This pause stretched on, but Shizuru could still hear the background noise of wheeling tables and beeping machines, so she hadn't been cut off.

_"Umm, so, I… I wanted to apologize… for not calling you."_

Shizuru froze.

_~ "You should go out with me sometime."_

_Kaguya blushed, curling her hair behind her ear nervously as she stared at a grinning Shizuru._

_"It- it wouldn't really be professional of me, since I'm attending to your mother. Not that you're not very attractive! It's just, you know, I've got a lot on my plate." Her pitiful excuse only seemed to amuse the tall woman, who chuckled good naturedly._

_"I could help you know, I didn't just go to school to cut hair. I picked up a thing or two about uh… books, and stuff. Plus I'm psychic, that'll help with a psych major, right?"_

_Kaguya laughed, the tension easing out of her bit by bit as their conversation, a repeat of many before, continued for many minutes. At the end, she was little more than a blushing mess and shyly mumbled out, "Maybe, but only after your mother gets better."_

_Not even two months later, her mother was dead. She stood by the nurses station, waiting for Kaguya to make her appearance before she left for good. A small slip of paper was clutched in her fingers. Her eyes alighted on the object of her thoughts._

_"Here," she handed Kaguya the paper, the number scrawled sloppily, but legible. She flashed a wicked grin, as empty as it was wide. "No dying mom in the way now, right?"_

_With a wink, she turned and strolled out the door, waiting until she was out of sight to let her shoulders fall and her eyes slide closed. Kaguya stared after her, a mixture of confusion and sorrow painting her otherwise pretty face in ugly colors. Shizuru hated that look. ~_

She wasn't annoyed about that. Nope, not one bit. It didn't sting at all, and she didn't feel even remotely like someone had thrown her a lifeline only to drag it back without her. She definitely didn't feel abandoned, and she certainly never felt lost without someone to turn to who could be strong for her.

Nope.

"It's no big deal, it just didn't work out," Shizuru said nonchalantly. She felt the tension on the other line like a hand slapping her in the face.

_"I… I had a lot going on, and you had just lost your mother. I just felt so… conflicted."_ Shizuru rolled her eyes.

"And it doesn't help that you never came out to your folks. I get it, Kaguya, we didn't click." Another rustle on the line indicated a swift change in position.

_"No, it's not that! Look, I just… do you think we can start over? Unless you're seeing someone, I mean."_

Shizuru swallowed, then cleared her throat.

"I'll let you know," she responded slowly. "Thanks for the call."

She hung up before she could say yes, and before Kaguya could get another word out. She took a deep breath, staring at the phone with half a mind to call the hospital back right then and there. Whether she wanted to talk to Kaguya again or find out where her sister was now, she didn't know. All she knew was that she had gotten exceptionally good at pushing people away, kind of like a certain little sister she knew.

Shizuru stood there for another minute before finally setting the phone back onto the hook. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced up toward Hotaru's cracked door to see two luminous yellow orbs regarding her calmly, a splash of cream color indicating that the cat was sitting down with her belly facing the hallway.

Mami had never liked her. She'd never been particularly aggressive, but she always ran when Shizuru came into the room. Maybe she knew, somehow, that the sisters weren't as close as they could have been. She always did get the strangest feeling that the tabby cat picked up on way more than any animal had the right to.

"What are _you_ looking at?" the woman asked quietly, frowning when the cat responded with a soft mew. The eyes disappeared and gentle padding pawsteps faded out, followed by the most subtle squeak of a bedspring.

Shizuru rolled her eyes, shaking off the chill that attached itself to her spine.

_Stupid cat_.

The woman returned to bed, slipping under the covers and forcing her eyes shut. Sleep did not find her until nearly an hour later, when she could finally feel her sister again. She was some distance away, but still in Kaidan. That was good enough, Shizuru supposed, and at long last allowed herself respite.

* * *

The Saturday morning dew glittered on the grass outside the hospital, the flowers just beginning to open as the first rays of dawn light coaxed a little warmth from the air. Early Spring smelled sweet and saccharine. It sounded happy, and hopeful with the high chirping of birds newly risen from the south, and the air itself tasted crisp and fresh. A new day, a new purpose, and for some, a new beginning.

Kurama sat in a most dignified manner on one of the benches in the hospital park, looking over the garden with a placid expression firmly in place. He certainly did not look the part of a man who had just been arrested, but neither did Urameshi and I appear to be officers of the law.

Yet here we were, those unlikely scenarios playing out exactly as you might expect.

My partner stood off to the side, looking for all the world like he would rather be anywhere than here. The waiting game, I had to admit, was tedious at best. Despite the low chances of Kurama trying to escape, our presence to ensure his 'capture' was necessary.

"This is stupid," Urameshi growled, and Kuramas eyes flickered towards him briefly. "They shouldn't be arresting him. He didn't do anything wrong!"

"He broke into Spirit World and slaughtered several inhabitants before stealing a dangerous artifact," I reminded him in a banal tone. "Despite the altruistic nature of his reasons, those actions are still considered immoral and unethical in practically every organized system. We can't simply let people off because they had good intentions."

He looked furious, and as illogical as his opinion was, I was inclined to agree with him. However, I couldn't simply allow his emotional state to dictate my own stance on this. We had an assignment, we completed our assignment.

"She's right, Urameshi," a sedate tenor sounded, and I turned my head to give Kurama a curious glance. He smiled wearily, his facade falling a bit to expose the exhaustion pulling at his eyelids.

"What do you mean?" Urameshi asked, looking quite taken aback.

"I must face the punishment for my crimes, seeing as I cannot escape it by death." I blinked at the macabre joke, feeling the corners of my mouth twitching traitorously in amusement. "It is inevitable that I should return. I think I've overstayed my welcome as it is. I only worry what will become of my mother now that I am to be in custody."

At this, his expression became troubled, and I looked between the two boys, likening the soul-rending sorrow in their eyes to kicked puppys. Urameshi's doe-brown orbs showed deep, emotional distress, a bottomless pit of _feeling_. I took a breath in, then exhaled slowly, working through every possible remedy for that pained look. My options were slim, but if I played my cards right, it may just work.

"Kurama, Botan will be returning soon," I said abruptly, and both of them turned their attention to me. "I must ask you a few questions, without her present, and I expect them to be answered as honestly as you are capable. Is that acceptable?"

He blinked slowly in confusion, then gave an impish half-smile.

"Is that your question?"

_Cheeky fox_, I thought, and my lips curled up just a touch.

"If I may be permitted more than one." Emerald orbs sparkled in amusement, and I took that as his agreement to the brief interrogation. I nodded, putting on a businesslike air.

"Is there any information you can give us regarding Hiei, his whereabouts, specifics of his plans, and the nature of his abilities?" All at once, his demeanour changed, and he looked quite serious.

"There is, but I can make no promises on helping you locate him. He is elusive, even to me," Kurama admitted, and doing so seemed to embarrass him somewhat. I shrugged.

"It's no matter, he will eventually make a mistake, or else reveal himself purposely. Though he is not the only elusive one," I added. "You yourself have virtually no presence when your power is not in use. While it leaves a noticeable void of spiritual sensation, the empty space is only there if you're looking for it. Is this an innate ability, or are you using a device of some sort?"

He considered my question a moment before answering, and I could see the gears behind his eyes turning steadily, trying to devine my motives.

"It is an adapted skill from an ancient race of demons that most are now born able to do, though it is more difficult to maintain when your power exceeds a certain level."

"Can this be learned?" Then, his eyes lit in understanding. If he knew what I was thinking or not didn't matter. He seemed to open up a bit more, dropping his guard with a curious twinkle in his gaze.

"It is something any being can accomplish, given proper tutelage." I nodded in thanks, moving on without much pause.

"What are your intentions, in a broad sense, towards humans?" He sat straighter somehow, levelling me with an honest expression.

"I have no wish to harm any humans, nor do I hold a grudge against Spirit World for their apprehension of me. I hold no hatred for the human race, nor any will to cause trouble in any of the three worlds." Such a proper answer, covering all the bases. He would do very well in a courtroom, I think.

"Were these dire circumstances to repeat, would you act in the same way? That is to say, would you do all of this over again to save your mothers life?"

"Without question," he responded, voice low and eyes dark. I had asked for honesty, and it was clear he thought this to be a damning answer. Yet he gave it anyways, knowing the possible outcome of admitting to his willingness to kill.

"Of course," I told him, allowing a gentle smile to grace my features before shutting my emotion away once more. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I turned away, giving him my back to favor Urameshi. The boy had been unusually silent during my interrogation, and he looked appropriately curious.

"Do his answers satisfy you?" I asked, and he only looked more confused.

"I mean, I guess? It just sorta proves he's a good guy, right?" I nodded, and despite Urameshi's insistence, I kept my lips sealed tight until the authorities arrived. The authorities meaning Botan and a handful of semi-clothed ogres, each holding some variation of bludgeoning weapon. Judging by the aura they gave off, those clubs left a lot more than a bruise when they impacted a target.

It was the cheery ferry girl, leaning on her oar instead of riding, who headed the procession with a cursory cautious glance around. Once she was satisfied, she smiled brightly, approaching as she spoke.

"Wonderful! Everyone's still alright. We'll take him from here you two," she winked at myself and Urameshi, who stood by my side now, and I raised a curious brow.

"Why wouldn't we be alright? It hasn't even been a full night," I pointed out as the armed guards made to surround a dutifully compliant Kurama.

"Oh silly, you can't really expect demons to keep their word," she said, almost condescendingly, and almost earning herself a narrow-eyed glare. "We could have given him the five hours, then he would just kill you both and head for the hills! It really wasn't good policy to give him so much time to begin with, but oh well." She shrugged.

"We'll escort him to Spirit World, you two rest up." I took a step forward, hand outstretched as if to grab at her arm, but I never touched her.

"Wait, we would like to accompany you." I heard Yusu-Urameshi shift behind me.

"We would?"

I shot him an exasperated frown over my shoulder, and he stumbled over himself to correct his error.

"Erm, right! We would, yeah. We wanna… talk to Koenma?" At my pleased nod, he exhaled in relief. Botan looked between the two of us, blinking dumbly.

"Whatever for?" I tilted my head in the fox demon's direction.

"Further planning for the case. Kurama has agreed to offer what knowledge he possesses on our final target." Her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline and her mouth formed a little 'o' of surprise.

"Really? But how can you be sure it's good information? What if he's just trying to mislead you?" I gave her a narrow look, full of every ounce of authority I had in me. I'm certain Kurama had similar feelings, but was far too polite to show it.

"I wouldn't have brought it up if there was even a shadow of a doubt as to the validity of his confessions. Trust me Botan, _I_ would know." She bore my cold look with dignity, managing to look only marginally distressed.

"Well, alright, I suppose this is something to talk to Koenma about." She gestured for us to follow, movements hesitant. As one, our group filed through the portal, the sudden transition from outside to inside somewhat jarring. Despite this, I did enjoy the journey, once again surrounded by dark and desolate abyss filled to the brim with stars.

Stepping out into the almost monochromatic world on the other side was a disappointment, if only aesthetically. It hadn't changed from the time of my last visit, and the instantaneous memories of the impromptu doctors visit were immediately shoved to the side.

The party split ways, and I offered Kurama a reassuring look as he passed. He did not appear so confident, but that was no matter. Botan lead us to more familiar territory- as familiar as things can get in the irritatingly uniform palace. Stopping before the entirely-too-large double doors, she turned to give us a winning smile.

"I'll just go and make sure he's ready to see you." She disappeared, and Urameshi pounced.

"Alright Little Kuwabara, what are we doing up here?" He forced me to face him, pulling me around by my arm. I merely raised a brow, surprised by both his audacity and my lack of any discontent with his behavior.

"This has to do with Kurama, right?" I nodded, giving him a few points for intuition.

"You and I are both of the opinion that he should stay in the Human World, yes? That he shouldn't be punished, or at least not harshly." He nodded emphatically.

"That's what all those questions were for! You wanted to really be sure." I gave a grunt of confirmation, then jerked my head at the door.

"I can make an argument for his case, but if we present a united front, we're more likely to get a bargain at least. If you have anything to add, feel free to do so after I present my findings."

"Right," he agreed, and both of our heads whipped around at the sound of the door opening once more. Botan had been remarkably quick, which made me think Koenma might have expected us. If that was the case, he had a counterargument prepared, or else wanted to further discuss my restrictions.

The room was less empty than my initial visit, towering stacks of white paper several times my height surrounded the toddlers desk. Said ruler of the current plain of existence sat behind said desk, pointedly ignoring said paperwork and the ogres that carried similarly starched and printed burdens. He regarded us with what I might have called a cheerful look, if not for the barely concealed caution behind his stare.

"Wonderful job today you two," he complimented as the doors shut behind us. "You managed to avoid bloodshed, _and_ got back arguably the most dangerous of the three missing artifacts!"

While trying not to feel oddly targeted by his observation of our success, I dipped my head in acknowledgement.

"We got the job done, thanks in no small part to Kurama." I then looked the small prince in the eye, my script laid out in an orderly fashion in the plains of my mind. "We would like to advocate for his release."

Koenma's brows shot into his hairline. "Oh?"

I nodded, launching into my justification for that request.

"Despite Kurama's crimes against Spirit World, namely murder and theft, it should be noted that his motivations were not impure. In fact, his actions directly lead to preserving and bettering the life of another, a _human_. This human would happen to be his mother."

I paused, hearing Urameshi take a short breath behind me.

"People do stupid shit, I know that better than anyone," he started, and I was tempted to verbally agree with that claim. "But he's no evil monster. He's just a guy looking out for his family. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but you gotta do what you gotta do." I nodded my assent, resuming my dialogue.

"Aside from the tragedy of ripping apart a family so newly mended, it may be cause for concern when his human alter-ego turns up missing. Being not only a formerly grieving son, but also the most prodigious of his classmates, there will be a high demand to find him, and plenty of publicity surrounding his disappearance.

"Furthermore, I have ascertained that Kurama is neither a threat to Human World nor Spirit World, and carries no ill intentions towards denizens of either realm. He thoroughly regrets his actions and has sworn to us that he would not repeat them. He has shown that he is capable of being reasoned with, both returning the mirror and offering information regarding our final target, who is arguably the most dangerous of the three.

"In light of his motivations and as repayment for his cooperation, we request that he be sentenced to House Arrest, and be permitted to remain in Human World."

My initial speech given, I stood ramrod straight, tight like the coil of a jack-in-the-box that's one crank away from popping. Koenma blinked in muted bewilderment, honey-eyes flicking between the two of us as if to decide which he wanted to deny first.

One could have heard a pin drop, even with the normally loquacious Botan still occupying the space behind us. I could imagine her with a hand over her mouth to hide that look of dainty surprise she wore so very often.

The small prince shifted, pushing himself to sit up straight, though it's entirely possible he was actually standing on his chair. It never made much difference.

He opened his mouth.

I lifted my chin just slightly, ready for a rebuttal.

"Request granted."

And my mind subsequently went blank, mainly due to the fact that I was entirely unprepared for immediate agreement. Words failed me, and I'm sure my face contorted into comical confusion.

"Wait, for _real?"_ Urameshi pressed, sounding just as disbelieving as I was. "You're just gonna let him go-just like that?"

"We are," Koenma informed him. "We didn't have very much to hold him on anyways, so his punishment wasn't going to be much different. There was no video surveillance in the artifacts room, so we can't really say for sure if he even participated in killing the guards, and he returned the artifact after using it for something purely altruistic." The prince shrugged, ending his explanation there.

"He's basically a free man, with some stipulations, of course."

Urameshi cheered, his hand slapping against my shoulder in a celebratory way, but I didn't have it in me to respond.

Wasted. All my brilliant arguments wasted. How disappointing.

"That's… good," I finally managed, looking back up to meet Koenma's gaze. "And these stipulations are?" He began counting off on his fingers.

"Well, he'd have to stay at home for the time being, at least a week. We can alter school records to get him time off. No contact with any other demons, and absolutely _no_ hiding his energy signature anymore."

I accepted this, they were simple enough rules.

"And at least one of you has to check in with him every day. It can be over the phone or, preferably, in person."

"No problem, just means no school for a week!" Urameshi grinned, folding his hands behind his head in a relaxed display. I quirked a brow with an amused smirk.

"I don't see how that's very different from how things were before," I quipped, dodging his fist. The air brushed past my cheek, and the twitch of my lips was entirely genuine.

"We'll be returning him before the end of the day," Koenma asserted, and I thought for a moment before bowing. It wasn't deep, but I hoped it conveyed at least a little gratitude. I may not have had a need for my argument, but at the very least, I'd get to keep the demon.

…

Our interrogation of Kurama would have to wait until Spirit World finished with his debriefing. Or, should I say, _my_ interrogation, as Urameshi had left the moment he learned there would be any sort of wait. It was likely we would be forced to ask our questions after his release at this rate. This was acceptable, though I do wish I had been informed exactly how long their interview would take.

I yawned, the exhaustion of over a full 24 hours awake and active finally catching up with me. It seemed I would be skipping yet another day of school, and I found with the heavy fog creeping over my vision, I didn't have the capacity to care. My superfluous education could wait. Sleep could not.

"Botan," I flinched slightly at how utterly drained my voice sounded. The Ferry girl turned to me with wide, expectant eyes.

"If you have any information regarding demons and their abilities, I would appreciate it being delivered to my room, on my desk if you please. I'd like to know what we are up against." She gave a boisterous laugh, the sound entirely too loud and excitable for my senses. Her body was nearly doubled over from the force of whatever it was her miniscule brain found so terribly hilarious.

"Oh my, I don't think it will all fit on your desk dear, that's far too much for me to even carry!" I blinked, standing just a touch straighter.

"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "How much do you have?"

She shrugged absently, picking up her oar from where it was leaning against the wooden bench.

"Oh, several hundred texts, some of them from many eons before humans even existed! There hasn't been any new editions within the past hundred years or so, but the information should all still be relevant."

I blinked, and my spine assumed the form of an arrow, rigidly vertical and erect with animated tension. Sleep could wait. An untapped well of bountiful knowledge on a species unknown, and which I once thought purely fictional, could not.

"Show me."

* * *

"Well?" Koenma looked impatiently at the woman, who stared intently at the image of the young girl huddled over a massive tome in the Grand Library. Ice-blue eyes focused most intently on the page, while black, abyssal orbs peered deep into the childs soul.

Through the layers of viscera and sinew, there lay a pulsing river system, violet in hue, that stemmed from a soul that was a barely visible spot of white. An overlayment of rose-tinted _something_ obscured the rest of the soul.

The woman hummed.

"Fifteen percent," she informed the prince, who looked more than a little disappointed.

"That's it? But we did everything you suggested! Surely she should have improved more than _that_!" His consternation did not bother the woman, who stared down her quarry with intention. What feeling motivated her, none could say for sure.

"She's only interacted with the boy a handful of times, and a three percent increase is actually quite substantial." She turned that empty smile of hers to the prince. "You did well choosing a companion for her. He is strong, and already she develops an attachment to him."

The toddler sighed, plopping back down in his seat with a huff.

"Well, you're the expert," he conceded. She gazed at him a moment longer before returning her eyes to the girl. She watched silently, the smallest tilt of her head the only indication that she was lost in thought.

The girl turned page, her eyes narrowed as she absorbed the new information about whatever it was inside the book.

The woman smiled, and it was real.

* * *

**And we see Doctor Feel Bad yet again!**

**I'm sorry if this feels a little choppy, but there are three distinct perspectives crammed in here, and while I understand it's generally a no-no to have third-person narrative in a primarily first-person story, I need to showcase what is going on around my character and I am yet unable to do that with just her perspective on things. So, we end up with this chimerical amalgamation of different people and their thoughts on the situation. What I'm saying is, get use to it.**

**Again, if you enjoyed, leave a review. They are my life blood, I survive by consuming the good vibes I get from listening to people who enjoy this trash. **

**Meow for now!**


	11. Chapter 10

**What started out as a single chapter with poor pacing turned into a nightmare for any writer. Welcome... to this godforsaken mess. It's a double update for reasons that surprisingly have nothing to do with the holidays, and have more to do with me really not liking filler. But I have deadlines, people. Self-imposed deadlines that no one asked for. At least this chapter turned out pretty good.  
**

**Oh well, on with the "sho."**

* * *

_Sweet child, in time you'll see the line,  
line that's drawn between the Good and the Bad.  
See the blind man, he's shooting at the world.  
Bullets flying, taking toll.  
If you've been bad- Oh Lord, I bet you have-  
And you've not been hit by flying lead,  
You'd better close your eyes, you'd better bow your head.  
Wait for the ricochet._

_\- Child in Time - Deep Purple_

**Shoganai and Happy Endings**

The first day of missed school was excusable, and simply saying that I was ill had been enough for teachers who had access to my otherwise perfect attendance record. One day was easily overlooked, especially in the case of one of their best students.

The second day, less than a week from the first, raised a few more questions, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. The only truly challenging aspect of the entire affair was fending off the inquiries of two certain young girls who seemed to have made it their mission to know every small detail of my life and then some. While I had been teasing 'friendship' with them off and on for the past few years, I had made sure our interactions never went too far, or lasted too long. Lately, however, it had been more and more difficult to keep them at bay. They were persistent, I could certainly give them that.

The day after I discovered the Spirit World Library, they honed in on me like twin missiles with intention that was hard to misinterpret.

"You missed another day." A conversation starter, or an accusation? Either way, it was far too forward, even for the normally blunt Asako.

"Yes, I did," I agreed, and the girls looked back at each other with matching frowns of exasperation. Asako turned her brown eyes to me with an unusual clarity in her normally empty-headed expression.

"You can't have been sick again, and there's no way you were sick Thursday, because you were perfectly fine Friday." We took to the hallway from the courtyard, the girls crowding me as we traveled to our home room.

"I'm sorry if that offends you, but I can't tell you anything different," I replied. They traded their irritating silent communication again, and Hitomi loked at me with a pleading curiosity.

"It's just a little unbelievable is all. You've never missed a day before, so we worry." I rolled my eyes, then let out a sigh of frustration. Idiot girls.

"Perhaps I have my own personal reasons that I'm not at liberty to share. In any case, prying into it when I've already given you a valid answer is very rude." My appeal to their propriety seemed to do little.

"But that's just the thing- it's not valid. You're lying." I blinked, correcting the small misstep that almost made me stumble, and continued on my way. Now _that_ blatant, perilously direct statement threw me quite off balance. What happened? Hitomi was usually so tactful.

"This conversation is over." They both made noises of protest, but we had reached the classroom by then. They were forced to remain silent throughout the remainder of the morning, though I could see Hitomi glancing at me every so often. By lunchtime, I still had not come up with a way to derail their interest in my personal life. The moment they left to retrieve their food, I was out of the classroom and on the rooftop in record time, hoping for some more enjoyable company

Urameshi wasn't there.

He must have made good on his promise and taken the day off to check on Kurama. Trying to ignore the weight of disappointment, I made my way back to the classroom, stowing myself away in a corner to read my demon lore in peace. I was seated beside Asako, but she seemed to be occupied with a lunchtime nap, and wouldn't be bothering me.

I fiddled with the gaudy ring as I read, the encrusted gold band taking residence beneath the knuckle of my left middle finger. It became clear to me very quickly that objects from the Spirit World were severely out-of-phase with the entirety of Human World. As such, holding and seeing the true nature of the book required a relatively simple enchantment in the form of a ring. Only I, as the one wearing the ring, could touch the books, and only I could see their true titles and the information within. According to Botan, normal humans would see a title that I favored, and would be subconsciously averted to picking the book up. It was convenient, and I would almost say ingenious.

"_Titus Andronicus? _Really, you're on that one again?" I glanced up in irritation, finding myself staring up into deep blue eyes. I folded the book closed with a finger still on the page despite the words being unreadable to her eyes, idly wondering what words of the play she might see if she looked.

"And what's wrong with that? It's a classic," I added in a banal tone, and she crossed her arms, one hand putting her own reading selection on display.

"It's a depressing revenge flick with more murder and mutilation than a blood eagle, and I'll hate you forever for recommending it to me." Her lips quirked at the corners and I made mine reciprocate. The smirk may not have been genuine, but having her read that book was my most subtle act of revenge in itself. Her poor eidetic memory would never allow her to forget the pictures the words weaved, and she would never pry into my books again.

"It's a fascinating view into the tortured human psyche, and it's far more realistic than whatever _tripe_ you're currently invested in," I retorted, nodding at the third installment of_ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_ clutched lovingly against her chest. The title had something to do with dolphins, I think. She gave a bark of laughter, sitting down beside me to crack open her book to the marked page. She still looked at me though, eyes full of mirth.

"I'll have you know this _tripe_ is just as valid as all the blood and drama you drown in," she replied with a sharp nod. "Maybe something a little lighter would make you smile for real, just once."

I huffed, rolling my eyes. It was a fine line I walked with these girls. One the one hand, Hitomi was far too perceptive, and that she could see right through many of my manufactured emotions made her a liability. Yet, she also provided a buffer of sorts between myself and the always chipper, ever obnoxious, never silent Asako, who in turn was quite dependable when I needed Hitomi distracted. It was a balance that I struggled to maintain, and it mystified me how their clashing personalities meshed so well together.

"Thank you, but I think I'll stick with my tried and true favorites." She groaned, laying her cheek in a delicate hand.

"All your favorites are so melancholy. That, or they're just dry textbooks. What thirteen-year-old reads textbooks for fun!?"

"One who has a passion to pursue," I said without missing a beat, the words familiar despite not having been exchanged in some time. It wasn't the first instance of her questioning my reading habits, naturally. Anatomy was understandable, though they were not the assigned class texts, but once my interests spread to psychology, sociology, behavior studies, she began to ask questions. Dangerous questions. Ones that I could only answer normally after studying those books.

"You can pursue your passion without exposing yourself to that _brain poison_," she gestured most rudely to my book. "If all you look at is the worst and the darkest parts of humanity, that's all you'll come to expect in real life. But there are good things too. Happy endings exist."

I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward, but made sure my smile was soft and unassuming.

"If you can point me towards a story with a genuinely good ending that was not attained by the magic of plot contrivances, but was ensured by the characters themselves being worthwhile people, I will read it. Until then, I will stick to drowning in blood and drama." I moved back, turning my body slightly so that the open pages faced only me and the window. Hitomi gave a thoughtful hum, then smiled.

"I think you need to learn to appreciate things that aren't grounded in reality. Stimulating the imagination tends to make people happier, and they are more likely to have happy endings on their own." I blinked slowly, then gave a 'warm' chuckle.

"Perhaps," I conceded, if only to end the pointless conversation. She smiled, her attention dropping to her own book, an I gave a subtle sigh of relief. We were on speaking terms again, and they seemed to no longer be suspicious. Perhaps I should request the enchantment show text books. Either way, the very sudden personality shift from proper Japanese girl to abrasive interrogater was somewhat worrying. I tried to take my mind off it, forcing my eyes to scour every word n the page.

At the moment, my hands were indeed _not_ occupied with Titus Andronicus. They cradled the cover of an elemental encyclopedia, focused entirely on demons with the affinity for the natural elements. However, this was not my first choice in reading material.

_~For my first selections, I decided on basic information on demons, a little spattering of culture here, some biology and anatomy there, sections on different affinities, and a rather large section on Demon World itself. Books piled up on the table I was using, creating a paper barrier around me that not even the tallest ogre could have seen over. _

_Certain tidbits stuck with me more than others, either because of importance or because they peaked my curiosity._

_Demons as a whole do not recognize any religion. The air of the Demon World- Makai, as it was written- is toxic to humans. There is no standard for normalcy, as demons come in varieties of sub-species. Demons tend to respect power. There is a number of species that survive by consuming humans. _

_I narrowed my eyes as I read further into that. It seemed most demons were able to consume spirit energy, while some could only devour souls, rather like Gouki. There were others, species name not mentioned, that would eat human flesh rather than their essence. That was curious, I thought to myself, and concerning. _

_I turned my attention later in the morning to the essential study of demon anatomy. It interested me to note that demons hearts did not beat, likely a result or reason for their long lives, yet were still considered living beings. Their ability to freely cross between worlds, as demonstrated by our recent criminal activity, was likely a biproduct of being something of an in-between species. They possessed souls, oddly enough, but did not seem to be bound by the fabric of normalcy to eventually reside in Spirit World. A few souls crossed over on their own, or so Botan had told me, but the number of demon souls that had passed through Spirit World's gates was incredibly low._

_"Botan, this is the record of demon souls that reside here, yes?" I stood before the reaper with the massive tome, just outside the Residential Records Department._

_"That's our list, yes," she replied, and I tilted my head with a look of concern._

_"It's one book. There are several hundred thousand that list human souls."_

_Upon reaching that point in the archives, I had been tempted to seek out particular human names just for curiosities sake, but I had ultimately decided that knowledge of demons, even the dead, would be far more beneficial. However, while there were seemingly endless rows of cases full of tightly packed tomes in the section marked 'Humans', there was a single shelf with only a single book marked as 'Demons'._

_A cursory glance told me little, as the demons varied in strength and alignment, but I did note the majority ended up in fair accommodations. None were sent directly to 'Heaven' of course, but the various levels below seemed to hold a large host of them._

_"Well yes, that's because humans die at a much faster rate," Botan said matter-of-factly, and I shook my head._

_"Even accounting for that, these numbers don't make sense. If, by your own admission, Spirit World has been operating since the beginning of time and balancing both worlds, the amount of demon souls should be at least half the number of human souls." She blinked, staring strangely at me._

_"What, you mean you thought we ferry demon souls too?" she asked, and I gave her a questioning look. She tittered, waving a hand. "Oh silly, Spirits can't go to ferry the souls in Demon World, it's far too dangerous! Our reapers aren't invisible there like they are in your world, and the fact that Demons are naturally aware to us makes the job so much harder."_

_She held up a finger, likely to stop me from interrupting._

_"Now, that doesn't mean we turn away the souls that find their way here. We accept all who have passed on, but it's just too much trouble to go looking for them all, and fighting off demons isn't in most of our Ferry Girls' capabilities."_

_"So then what happens to the souls that do not cross over?" I asked, and she smiled, replying in a fashion that answered fewer queries than it raised._

_"What happens to human souls that don't cross over?"_

_I considered that for a moment before slowly responding, "They become malicious, and powerful."_

_"Bingo!" She grinned. I frowned._

_"Then the Demon world is overrun with angry, potentially dangerous ghosts. And you don't see this as a problem?"_

_She shrugged, said: "So long as nothing spills over into our worlds, then it's really none of our concern. Like I said, Demon World is dangerous. It's inhospitable at best, and downright lethal at worst."_

_"And if they realize Human world is more appealing?" I pressed. "If they get tired of their dimension's sickness? What happens when they decide to go somewhere without that problem?"_

_As usual, she gave my concerns a casual wave._

_"Oh, don't be silly! They've been that way forever, it's their way of life! They're so use to it by now, most of them probably have no idea there is anything else."~_

For some reason, that did not reassure me. That they did not yet know was not at all a comfort. There were those that knew, no matter how weak they were, and it would be a simple matter to inform those more powerful. Of course, she had told me of the barrier separating the worlds. However, it was imperfect, and any imperfection could be exploited. All it took was the right kind of demon.

It seemed Hiei and Gouki were exactly the right kinds of demons, according to Kurama. They had been weak enough to pass through the barrier and enter the Human World, but not so powerful as to alert the authorities until they were already in Spirit World.

My interrogation of the fox demon had proven quite successful. His reports on Hiei's abilities provided me with enough information to formulate a rough plan of attack. That eye Kurama told me about, that Jagan, was of quite some interest to me, and I had taken the liberty to do a little light research before leaving the grand library. Unfortunately, Kurama could tell me nothing concrete of Hiei's affinity, though if he had to guess, he would say some type of elemental.

_~"What makes you say that?" I asked curiously, watching Kurama through the bars of his cell. He looked thoughtful, as though drudging up a particularly distant memory, and took a deep breath._

_"Most demons have some genetic specialization or another. Elementals tend to smell strongly of their particular affinity, though the smell weakens if they have abstained from using their natural power. It is the interaction with their element that leaves a distinct scent, and I'm afraid the only scent Hiei carries is that of his Evil Eye."_

_"Which isn't natural, you say?" I asked to confirm, and Kurama nodded._

_"Aside from superior speed and skill with a sword, Hiei has displayed no power aside from the abilities granted by the Jagan." I tilted my head with a frown._

_"Then what suggests that he even has abilities beyond that? Do you imagine he was hiding his true nature from his allies to gain some sort of advantage?" Kurama's appraising look turned to one of approval._

_"That's a rather demonic way of thinking about it, and it's a distinct possibility, but that isn't the reason." The demon leaned back with the smallest of grimaces, the twitch of his eyes telling. The wooden bed with the inch of mediocre padding can't have been particularly healthy for the back. He was more slouched than before, dark shadows clinging to his eyelids and threatening to drag them down._

_It was then that I remembered he had been awake at least as long as I had, possibly even more. With his mother in the hospital, I can't imagine he had been getting enough rest before. This was taxing on him, I could see that now. His body was sluggish, eyes a little less sharp. Not to say that he was vulnerable. Simply uncomfortable._

_"To attain the Jagan, a demon must be immensely powerful. The procedure itself is not so much inserting an implant as it is growing it, much like exposing certain chemicals to water will force them to crystalize. The eye manifests with enough energy, effectively bringing the receiver down to the lowest level of demon. For him to have successfully taken on the Jagan, he must have once been unbelievably strong. It is likely the loss of that strength contributed to his perceived lack of affinity. Anything other than an elemental power would have been accessible to someone of his current strength."  
_

_I nodded._

_"You've been of great help to me, Kurama. Thank you for your time." I stood, and he mirrored my movements with a curious look._

_"That isn't everything, there is still much you do not know about him, or his plans." I gave him a smile, waving to dismiss his concerns._

_"You're exhausted, its plain to see. I will continue when you return to Human World. I assume you have no issue with my knowing your home address?" It wasn't a real question, of course, more of a courtesy to let him know that I did indeed know where he lived. He lifted his chin, a show of defiance or an act of conditioned dignity?_

_"And when exactly might that be?" His question was cold, and I smiled wider._

_"Sooner than you think."~_

I shut the book, realizing I had not absorbed even a modicum of information while I was lost in my thoughts. The two halves of the pulp made a resounding crack, which startled Asako from her lunchtime slumber. She blinked blearily, her hair bunched up on one side and a slim line of drool running from the corner of her mouth.

"Is it my turn to clean the chalkboard already?" she asked in a scratchy voice, and Hitomi chuckled lightly, setting her book down and moving to hand her friend a tissue.

"No, but it's almost time for class. Clean up your face, you're drooling." As the girl furiously rubbed at her cheeks (ignoring the offered napkin), I turned in my seat-

And suddenly felt all the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I jumped from my table, eyes flitting everywhere in the nearly empty room. I ignored the girls worried questions, turning quickly on the spot, looking to the door, then to the windows, because _something was watching me._

I knew the feeling too well, and I knew enough to be able to tell if it was a human or a ghost. This felt dark, angry, malicious. It was so intense, I could have sworn with utmost certainty that whoever it was had been directly behind me. A ghost? A demon, perhaps? Hiei?

The eyes vanished, and I felt lighter, my heart beginning to slow as the danger abated. I sat down slowly, eyes on the windows, seeking out that black figure, but finding nothing but the blue and grey backdrop of the town.

"Hotaru?" Hitomi's voice sounded concerned, and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"I thought someone pinched me, that's all. Must have been an insect bite." She stared at me as if to say, _do you really think I'll buy that crap?_ Asako, however, nodded seriously.

"So it was a ghost or a mosquito. Considering where the rice fields are though, probably the bug." I offered a small chuckle.

"Probably." I ignored Hitomi's grimace, looking towards the door where our teacher had just entered with a tired yawn.

I could hardly focus all day, the memory of those monstrous eyes nagging me like I was married to it. Perhaps Kurama could teach me to hide my energy, make me more difficult for Hiei to find. It was worth a shot, in any case.

* * *

I arrived to a rather unusual scene upon my very first visit to the Minamino household.

It was a house, smaller than my own, but that was perfectly acceptable for such a small family. The neighboring buildings were all pressed against each other, the feeling of closeness and copious outdoor decoration indicative of a tight-knit community that would surely notice the change in personnell coming and going through this house.

I rang the doorbell, but didn't have to wait even three seconds before the door opened, and Kurama's polite smile greeted me.

"Kuwabara-San, I am happy you could join us. Please, come inside." He stood aside with a bow, which I returned before strolling into the breezeway. I slipped off my outdoor shoes, placing them on the mat beside three other pairs. Urameshi's faded white sneakers were easily identifiable, haphazardly tossed in awkward positions beside the perfectly aligned black loafers that most certainly belonged to the demon. I hung my schoolbag on the hook beside Kurama's, taking out a pair of indoor slippers and flashing them in his direction.

"I brought my own, if that's alright," I said, kneeling to slide them on. He smiled, though it was not the excessively polite and cheerful one I had been greeted with initially.

"It's perfectly fine."

I nodded, following him into the kitchen to find Urameshi hunched over a board on the table, the most miserable expression on his face. He looked like he'd just lost his home in a fire, including his favorite pet. The moment he saw me, his doe-brown eyes lit up with an intensity that was, quite frankly, disturbing.

"LITTLE KUWABARA!" He shouted, just a touch too loudly, earning him a scolding look from both myself and Kurama. The crazed look didn't disappear, even as he stood hurriedly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "It's so great to see you! Come on in, join us!" His volume did not decrease as he rudely invited me into a home that was not his. He dragged me bodily over to the table and forced me into the chair he had been occupying.

"Urameshi-" I could hardly get even that out before he laughed, high and false with just a hint of mania.

"Well hey, look at the time! I just remembered I've got some homework to do, so I think I'll just head on home." He patted my shoulder and was out of the room in the time it took to blink. "I'll see myself out!"

There was the most brief struggle as he stumbled to get his shoes on, then the door opened and slammed shut. I stared slack-jawed at the entrance to the kitchen where I could have sworn Urameshi was only just standing. It all happened very quickly, but I'm sure he was in the room only a few seconds ago. I flashed a questioning look at Kurama, whose smile was conspicuously innocent. At this, my eyes narrowed marginally.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, but my tone lacked bite. If it was anything serious, Yusuke would have said something. Kurama gestured grandly to the table at which I sat, and with a dramatic sigh, crossed the room over to me.

"See for yourself," he drawled in a falsely morose tone. "I'm afraid I quite deterred him from the desire to learn English."

I followed his gaze. The board was for a game, multiple tiles already placed over points squares. Each tile bore a set of lines that made up a letter. Letters in the _English_ language. I blinked, taking in the three groups of tiles, one considerably larger than the others, and the two small shelves that would hold the tiles in a way that the players could see what they had without showing their opponent.

"Scrabble," I said, and blinked slowly. "You made him play Scrabble."

Kurama shrugged, and I fixed him with an utterly bewildered look.

"I felt rather terrible for being the reason he was missing school today, and took it upon myself to rectify at least some of that," he explained with a sigh. "I was hoping we could find a way to be productive today, as he was so graciously depriving himself of a valuable education, but it seems all I've done is frighten him away from the subject."

I stared at Kurama. I looked away. I stared at the board.

My stomach convulsed, my lungs compressing rapidly. A genuine, absurdly amused laugh tumbled from my throat and escaped my lips before I could stop it. My shoulders hunched over, and I lifted a hand to my mouth to stifle the sounds. It was in vain, the giggle enduring for a few seconds longer before I regained my composure. Still, I could only restrain my mirth so much, and I could feel my amusement dancing just behind my eyes.

"You are a genius," I commented, and Kurama's wide-eyed stare abated for one of modesty.

"Not at all," he replied, though it was obviously for the sake of politeness. He knew, I knew, and he knew that I knew how intelligent he was. Test scores aside, our interactions thus far lead me to believe that I would not want to be on the opposing side from him. There was something in his cool, calm, caring eyes that spoke of a deeper hidden truth, a devil in angels garb.

"Will you be staying long?" His question initially raised suspicion, though I supposed if I had been entertaining the belligerent Urameshi all day, I might also long for some peace.

"No, I was just checking in. I wanted to know the layout of the building and whatnot before I start making regular visits." Upon saying this, I gave the kitchen a once-over. It was fairly normal, if not unusually clean. Then again, the teenage boy standing beside me (when did he get so close?) was not truly the age he appeared, so it made sense he would not leave the same mess as a boy that age might. Kazuma certainly left a veritable disaster in his wake by merely existing in a space. Although, the room didn't smell used at all, and I was inclined to believe Kurama might have been eating takeout since his mother's hospitalization.

He might appreciate home cooking.

Further study of the room turned up another small abnormality. Potted plants weren't unusual in and of themselves, but I had never known them to grow quite so tall, or carry any presence. If I were to close my eyes, I might have mistaken the various flowering shrubs and stalks to be weak ghosts or perhaps very old humans with little left in their spirits.

Long limbed aralia stood proudly on either side of the sink in small white pots, far too vibrant for late summer and looking freshly sprouted. Hanging plants rested on hooks in the ceiling, long spidery fronds swaying harmlessly despite the lack of wind. Small things, not noticeable if you have no awareness, but blatantly obvious if you could feel the distinct energy the came off every leaf. It was the same energy I could feel now from Kurama, thankfully not shielding his presence, as ordered by Koenma.

If I recall, there was a flowering shrub in the breezeway as well. I'd wager the house was filled with growing things.

"I am going to make an assumption and say that your affinity is plant-related," I said, and he smiled, the look just shy of predatory.

"Well done," he praised. "Urameshi- ah, sorry, _Yusuke_ was far too preoccupied to notice. I was wondering if you would."

I nodded, briefly considering the implications of that change in name.

"It's difficult not to. They are... lovely," I finished, deciding that word was adequate. Should I offer for him to use my given name?

"Its nothing, really. I could do better in a more open environment." Open ended, an offer to continue a conversation. But I really didn't have the time for that today. Come to think of it, Kurama had used both our given names when introducing us to his mother. Perhaps that was just to imply a familiarity for the sake of a cover story. That made sense.

"I'm sure," I replied, getting to my feet and moving to begin my assessment of the rest of the house. "Would you mind giving me a tour?"

He agreed, of course, and the so-called tour lasted a grand total of seven minutes. As I suspected, there was a wide variety of plant life in each room. He explained it to his mother as an interest in botany, which she accepted without question, despite the fact that certain plants were already out of season and certainly not native to a temperate climate.

"Koenma explained the rules to you, I expect, but I'd like to go over them again." He nodded, leading me back into the kitchen area.

"I am to remain within the confines of my home for the next six days unless accompanied by yourself or Yusuke. I am to have no contact with any demon or unsanctioned being without the express permission of Spirit World or its detectives. I may not mask my energy signature or conceal myself in any way for the duration of the week." I gave a hum of acknowledgement for his flawless recitation, the took a folded piece of paper from the pocket of my skirt, offering it to the demon. He accepted it with both hands, but did not open it, his eyes curious.

"The Urameshi household's phone number is first, my own second," I explained. "While at least one of us will be here to check on you every day, you'll have these should you need to reach us in an emergency. If you would like to leave at any point to visit your mother or do any grocery shopping, let one of us know so that we can be prepared to accompany you. You'll likely have better luck contacting my house. During school hours, either my sister or father will answer, and they will take a message for me. Are there any questions?"

His somewhat bemused expression shifted after a moment to one of sincere gratitude.

"No, your offer is very kind. I appreciate your forethought on the matter." He smiled, the normal hardness in his gaze retreating in the presence of the sparkle of warmth.

_Success._

"It's no trouble, I understand how difficult this will be for you. I can set aside time tomorrow after school to accompany you to the store, if that is agreeable."

It was agreeable, of course. He was far too conciliatory to refuse that _generous_ offer, and after a brief conversation regarding the scheduling of our meetings, I left the house, heading back toward the transit to catch the 5:00 train back to Kaidan. Kurama still lived in Sendai, but it was south in what was contrarily referred to as Uptown, closer to the more heavily populated areas than our little docking town. As such, it was bustling with activity, and I did not sense Urameshi until he was right on top of me, reaching out to grab my arm.

I twisted, stopping my fist just before it connected with his throat, and stared openly.

"What are you still doing here?"

He cast an amused look at my hand, then completely ignored it to throw an arm haphazardly around my shoulder.

"Chill out crazy, I was waiting. I just hate to ride the train alone," he said in a too-casual way, and I gave him a deadpan glare.

"You don't have money to pay for the trip," I guessed, and his nonchalance as he stared around the station was all the answer I needed. He shrugged, still not letting go of my shoulders, and I was beginning to get irritated by that.

"Well it's not like we're rolling in cash," he excused, and I rolled my eyes, sternly removing his arm and taking a step away.

"Urameshi, I suggest we leave now, before we miss the train." I pointed to the electronic board that was helpfully indicating we had only five minutes to board. However, he only stuffed his fists into his pockets, giving no indication that he was going anywhere.

"Nah, I got nothin' going on at home. I say we hit the streets and bust some heads. Relax, unwind, you know?" I frowned, my face screwing up in confusion. There were several things wrong with his suggestion.

"Here?" I questioned, looking around at the heavily packed, notably refined area with nary a head worth busting in sight. He frowned in a way that almost made me feel like an ignorant child.

"Well _obviously_ not here," he snarked. "You remember when we were chasing that little kids soul, and it went into the orb thing, but we got sidetracked by those thugs? That place, it's not too far. Let's go!" I blinked, startled almost into silence until he grabbed my wrist to bodily drag me toward an open and conveniently empty stairwell.

"You're serious. Urameshi, we have school tomorrow- I have homework to complete." I dug in my heels as we reached the landing and he finally let go with a huff. My reasoning fell on deaf (read: obstinate) ears, and he clicked his teeth, crossing his arms.

"Oh _come on_, I just spent the day playing stupid board games with that demon _nerd_. Who even _plays_ scrabble anymore!?" I took his complaints with an empty expression, which he took as liberty to continue. "Look, there's all this stuff going on with that Gouki guy and the mirror blast thing and all this crazy Spirit World shit. I just figure we could use a night on the town, so that's what we're doing."

I gave him a glare, crossing my arms in defiance.

"I don't believe I said whether or not _I_ was busy. _You_ may not have a life, but _I_ happen to." He leaned forward with a scowl, and it took all my willpower not to punch him again.

"Oh like you've got better things to do? What, got a hot date?" His teasing only served as fuel to the slowly building fire of rage behind my eyes, and I let out a low growl.

"That's not the point. The _point_ is that you were not making a suggestion, you were making a demand, and _you_ do not demand _anything_ from me." At this, he threw his hands in the air, straightening his posture and pursing his lips in a mocking fashion. All in all, he was doing his very best impression of a peacock with a swagger.

"Oh, look at me! I'm Kuwabara Hotaru, I can see ghosts and nobody bosses me around. Get real!" He ended his enthusiastic performance, staring at me with an authoritative frown. Suddenly our roles were switched, and I felt as though he were the one scolding me. "You're all wound up, I'm all wound up, let's go! Come on, it'll be fun!"

I opened my mouth to continue resistance, perhaps to offer some sort of argument against his care-free suggestion, but the words died on my tongue. My mouth shut and I pursed my lips. I made to speak again, but all that came out was a groan of exasperation. I hung my head in defeat, giving a small shake at my own inability to stand firm. There was nothing I could say.

"Fine," I conceded begrudgingly. "Maybe the past few days have been a little stressful."

He grinned widely, the act falling away immediately and with so little preparation. I realized in just a moment I had been tricked. That _dolt_ had just _manipulated_ me. Falsifying anger, invoking a reaction, starting an argument, all to force me to admit that he was right. That sneaky little brat! He once more trapped my shoulders with his arm, dragging me along out of the station.

"Great! Let's go! And hey, while we're at it, we should grab some chow. You got it covered, right?"

I would kill him slowly. But later.

"Fine," I repeated, elbowing him sharply in the stomach to release his hold. He let out an 'oof' of pain, but jogged to catch up with me as I continued to walk in the direction of the evening's activities. His wild grin never faded.

"Awe, you're the best!" I rolled my eyes with a sigh, then gave my less-idiotic-than-I-thought companion a sideways glance.

"How did you know I was so 'wound up', as you put it?" He shrugged at my question, then looked at me with a thoughtful frown.

"It's like you're walking with a cloud over your head, like in cartoons." He pointed up to where I assume the imaginary cloud must have been. "I dunno, you just feel weird." I scoffed, glancing down at my right hand. I looked away again, resolved to continue ignoring it.

"Whatever, dolt."

* * *

"You're home late."

I arrived well after dark, slipping out of my shoes and immediately heading for the kitchen. Working on an empty stomach was not advisable, and I was nothing if not conscious of my health. The edamame looked rather appetizing, much more so than the cheeseburger Urameshi tried to shove down my throat, and I was in the middle of checking the date on the packaging when the voice interrupted me.

"I was with friends," I responded, deciding the vegetables were suitably fresh and taking the entire bag, closing the refrigerator door and leaning against the machine. Shizuru regarded me from the doorway with a suspiciously relaxed posture.

"The one you were hanging out with last time?" she asked, and I bit back a growl, managing to keep my face neutral.

"Yes, and another one." I paused. "I gave him our number, by the way. His name is Minamino Shuichi. He may be calling soon to set up our next appointment. If he calls while I'm away, you can just pass on his message to me."

I dearly wished I could read her face. Shizuru was almost always completely void of expression, and so the small twitches and quirks that occasionally surfaced were virtually indistinguishable. I imagined it must be similar to my own face, but I doubt she had the same excuse I did. The point was that it would be convenent if she were to emote more, at least so I could know what I was working with.

She gave a soft smile, and my jaw nearly dropped.

"Appointment, huh? Well, that's one way to describe it, I guess. You must be really close with these guys to be giving out our number like that." I blinked, unsure how to respond.

"I suppose," I responded slowly. "About as close as I can be." Her smile grew, and the strangeness of the situation intensified.

"I'm just glad you're hanging out with people your age, and not that old man at the dojo." I shrugged, shifting my bag strap to rest more comfortably.

"I haven't been to the dojo in a while, maybe I'll pay Koori-Sensei a visit soon." It was a statement meant to be of a contrarian nature, but it did sound like a good idea. Shizuru hummed, not taking the very gracious bait, and shifted her stance so that she took up even more of the entrance. She'd cornered me, unless I decided to escape through the window.

"How was school?"

"It was normal," I replied, starting to get anxious as the conversation continued. This was _not_ following the normal pattern. This was _not_ protocol.

She frowned, her usual impassable and stony default expression putting me more at ease.

"I can tell when you're lying. What's up?" I was tempted to shoulder past her and disappear upstairs, resume the normalcy of our feud. It would be painfully easy to ignore her, to brush off her concerns. But I didn't. She had extended an olive branch of sorts, and despite my lack of need for her approval, I found myself curious as to her motivations. With that in mind, I sighed as though defeated.

"I was being watched in class today," I confessed with a frown, gauging her reaction carefully. The only indication that she heard me was a subtle narrowing of her eyes. "It wasn't anyone in the classroom, or even within the school at all. They were outside, and I felt they meant me harm."

If she was surprised at my open admission, she didn't show it.

"Did anyone follow you home? What about your friends?"

I shook my head.

"It was only at school, and the others didn't notice anything." I hadn't asked Kurama, but neither he nor Urameshi had mentioned anything. Yusuke hadn't been at school, so that was a likely reason, but it could also be that he simply wasn't accustomed to his powers yet, and couldn't feel when he was being watched.

"And you don't have any idea who it might be?" Ah, to lie or not to lie? That is not the question, as the answer was obvious.

"Not for sure," I replied without inflection. "I never saw a face, or even a figure."

"So it was ghost," she inferred, and I gave a negative nod.

"No, it felt different, more powerful." To my surprise, she shrugged.

"Well, it didn't come home with you, and you're not in any immediate danger so… Shoganai, I guess." I blinked, then my eyes grew wide with barely subdued rage.

"_Shoganai?_" I seethed, and she gave me a deadpan stare, amusement barely hidden in her whisky eyes.

"Yeah, you know, it can't be helped."

"I _know_ what it _means_," I hissed, closing in on myself once more. "It's a poor excuse for those without the proper drive to see things done. It's an excuse for those who are _complacent_."

She raised a brow, having the audacity to look concerned. I couldn't believe I'd let my guard down so easily.

"Some things can't be helped," she excused. "That's just a part of life."

I scoffed, pushing past her and heading for my room.

"Everything can be helped. I was an idiot for thinking I could talk to you," I added under my breath, but just loud enough that she would hear it. I didn't bother to watch her face as it undoubtedly fell, taking the stairs up and passing Mami on the way. She meowed a hello at me and I grunted in response. She trilled out in a questioning tone, but I ignored her.

When I arrived at my room, I kicked the door closed and tossed my bag onto my bed. Growling, I fished the Spirit World book from my bag and planted myself at my desk, trying to curb my frustration with some quiet research.

The wailing of a spirit outside threatened to break my concentration, but I tried my best to ignore the little ghost boy.

Shoganai. To simply accept a situation and move past it was a poor philosophy in the face of adversity. It's the reason Japanese people no longer care for politics. They see a government they believe is too strong, and decide they can't change a thing. People had no drive, nothing to motivate them. The lack of confidence in their own abilities, meager as those abilities might be...

I know it was Hiei who was watching me, and I know he followed me. Shoganai or not, this is one thing I will not simply accept.

_Knock knock!_

My ears perked up and I glanced to the closed door. My gut told me it was Kazuma, and Mami was with him. The cat probably told him I was upset. The thought almost brought a smile to my face.

"Go away, Kazuma." There was a pause, then my door opened a touch. I could barely see the tip of his sock before Mami wiggled her way inside, squeezing through the crack like liquid. She bounded over to me and hopped up onto my desk, dropping onto the Spirit world book and rolling over onto her back. Her tail curled and she pawed at the air, a questioning mew escaping her. I shook my head, running my fingers through her thick, soft belly fur as Kazuma opened the door and stepped in fully.

"Sorry," he started. "Shizuru said you guys had a fight… again."

I sighed, leaning back.

"I felt someone watching me, and they meant to harm me. Do you think I should ignore it and move on?" He looked startled, then outraged. I blinked, suddenly remembering who exactly I was talking to.

"_What!?_" he half screamed, tensing with his fists balled at his sides. "Who is it? You show me and I'll go beat them up for you! No one comes near my sister!" I'd rather not pit him against Hiei.

"It's nothing I can't handle. Besides, nothing has happened yet." This didn't seem to reassure him. He planted one fist into the opposite palm, growling in frustration.

"You shouldn't have to deal with it alone. It's not right! If I can't even protect my own sisters, how can I call myself a real man?" I raised a brow, blinking slowly.

"Zu, you're fourteen, you can afford not to be a man just yet." I gave a small smile, and it was real. "Besides, I'll have backup should things go south." That only made him frown deeper. He dropped onto the bed sullenly, a pout pulling at his lips.

"You mean _Urameshi_, don't you." An accusation, not a question, though what he was accusing me of I was unsure. My smile dropped. "You'll trust him to back you up but not me?"

I think I understood him then. Kazuma felt as though I considered him obsolete.

"You're busy. You need to work harder on your studies, and you can't leave your territory unguarded," I rationed. "In any case, I don't care if Urameshi is in danger. You should steer clear." He looked up hopefully, curiosity deep within his dark eyes.

"Steer clear of what? You and Urameshi have been going off together a lot, don't think I haven't noticed! Just what are you guys doing, huh?" I shrugged, stroking Mami's stomach at her insistant pawing.

"Cleaning house, as it were. Sparring, occasionally."

Occasionally, meaning exactly once so far, and it had not gone the way I expected...

_~Urameshi threw a punch, painfully slow and easy to intercept.  
_

_I reacted by dodging right.  
_

_Leg sweep._

_Jump over it moving left._

_Surprise hammer fist._

_Redirect, duck under, spin, back to starting point._

_"Oh come on," the boy whined, glaring at me pitifully like I'd just taken the last dango stick. "At least throw a few hits in. What gives, huh? You just beat the snot out of all of those thugs, now you're just running away!"  
_

_I shrugged apologetically._

_"I'm sorry, but I just don't see the point here. I don't exactly have a reason to fight you." He growled, in frustration, scraping his worn-out sneakers on the asphalt as he ambled over to me.  
_

_"It's not like we have to try to kill each other, unless you're into that sort of stuff." I blinked, keeping my face carefully neutral.  
_

_"I was under the impression infighting was a bad thing. Kazuma doesn't fight like this with his boys," I explained. "It just seems counterintuitive is all. This isn't a dojo; we aren't learning anything we can't learn simply by watching each other." Sparring in the dojo was one thing. You were practicing to learn choreographed steps, and your opponent was something of a dance partner. This was formless, simple street brawling with someone you wouldn't need to fight against. "Why would we spar at all?"  
_

_"Maybe cause it's fun?" He explained shortly, as though it were obvious. "I wanna know who's stronger. Obviously me, but hey, who knows?" He was resorting to baiting me. Was he really that desperate for me to break him? I suppose I could humor him. It wouldn't be long before he begs me to stop anyhow._

_"Alright, let's see where this goes." He perked up immediately, slamming his fists together like a boxer might (how he didn't hurt his knuckles doing that is beyond me), and crouched down to his amateurish ready stance. I rolled my eyes and began counting the seconds that would go by before he was on the ground._

_I analyzed him up and down, then surged forward to slam my fist straight into his face. His look of surprise faded as he moved out of the way, winding back immediately as I thought he would. Pulling my strike back slightly lost me momentum, but I still had enough to send my hidden left hand up into his gut. He made a choking sound and I was satisfied that I'd hit his solar plexus. Shame, that was only three sec-_

_THUMP!_

_His knee came up, landing a blow right on my ribs and knocking me back. I yelped in surprise, hopping away to stare at him. He was grinning ear to ear, and he didn't give me long to figure out why exactly he wasn't completely winded. He lunged, catching me off-guard with a fist to my cheek. It stung, but I was durable. __I twisted, using his momentum against him and retaliating with an elbow to his ribs. I reared back for another hit but he dodged, dancing away with a manic giggle. I looked at him, almost disturbed, but mostly impressed. He'd taken my blow like it was nothing._

_"Look at that, you can take a hit!" he taunted, and I nodded in acknowledgement._

_"So can you," I replied in wonder. He let out a bark of laughter, leaping at me again. ~_

"Say, Kazuma, might I pick your brain for a moment?"

Despite still looking grumpy, he motioned for me to continue.

"If I were to want to be the best at something, but someone else was equal to me, how would I go about becoming the best?" His face contorted comically, one brow cocking up into his hairline.

"But, sis, nobody's the best," he explained gently, and I felt my eyes threaten to roll. "That's why people keep trying, because there's always something better to work for." I waved his words away like smoke, an impatient frown on my lips.

"Alright then, hypothetically. Say a friend of mine is my equal in something I want to excel at, or possibly better at it. How do I become better?" He scratched the side of his face in thought.

"I guess study harder?" His response did not satisfy me.

"And if that isn't an option?" I prompted, and he shrugged.

"Then… it's shoganai, I guess."

… I wanted to slap him. This was making me far more frustrated than it should, and I knew I was acting juvenile. On the same note, shoganai is still the most feeble excuse in the Japanese book. I calmed myself, at least on the surface, and turned back around in my seat.

"Down," I told Mami, and after a moment long resentful stare, she hopped to the floor, padding over to wind around Kazuma's legs. "I've got some studying to do," I added, trying to hint to my brother gently. He nodded, standing up and making his way over to the door.

He suddenly froze, and I felt my brows raise in surprise.

"Jeez, are you sure what followed you wasn't a ghost?" he asked, looking outside my window. I hummed, tilting my head to finally pay attention to the ghost of the little boy.

"No, he's only just arrived. You sensed him much more quickly than usual," I added, and Kazuma blanched as a particularly loud wail broke the mild silence.

"Yeah, I know. Everything's been getting easier and easier to see. You know how many evil spirits dad has had to chase away from me?" He sounded tired, and mildly panicked. I shrugged.

"A fair amount. They tend to latch on if they realize someone notices them. Try to ignore them, don't make eye contact, they'll always leave eventually." He shook his head, seeming not to take much interest in my advice.

"It's easy for you, but I mean, I want to help! But there's just so many, and they're all so angry…" I frowned.

"What do you mean it's easy for me?" I asked, and his reaction only made me more suspicious of his implications. His eyes grew wide and he held out his hands defensively.

"Ah- nothing! Nothing at all! Well gee, it's getting late, gotta go!" And he spun on his toes, shooting out the door with speed to rival a bullet. I sighed, returning my gaze to the book. Of course, his presence reappearing at my door distracted me once again.

"Umm, do you feel better?" he asked me worriedly.

"... Yes, surprisingly." It wasn't untrue, and I glanced over my shoulder with yet another small smile, and it was real. "Thank you, Kazuma."

He grinned proudly, waving with a giggle before leaving my room and shutting the door quietly. I shook my head fondly, turning my attention back to the encyclopedia. I was able to focus better now, my mind not so clouded by frustration. True, Urameshi may have beat me this time, but I supposed the only way to surpass him was to continue fighting his way, and go at him with every style I knew. After all, if he was the best, what was the point of me?

* * *

**Yet another chapter that had some serious cosmetic surgery. This one was sort of Frankensteined after I found some inconsistencies, or things I just wanted to be different. It's been hacked up and the parts strewn around the rest of the story, some elements coming in earlier or later. I technically didn't take from the story, I just added and rearranged.**

**A little family dynamic here, which I enjoyed immensely. I really like writing Hotaru in her home habitat with her sister, because conflict is where it's at. I enjoy making my characters suffer, because it makes relief that much sweeter. **

**Please review, I'm dying of post-Thanksgiving salt-induced headaches, and I need your opinions.**

**Meow for now!**


	12. Chapter 11

**KILL ME NOW! DO IT! AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!**

**Ugh, such a pain to write. It gave me no end of headaches, and I had to erase it several times. It doesn't help that I kept getting distracted. But, like, fanfiction is really good, guys. God... just enjoy the "sho."**

* * *

_It's a plot though,  
I told you so.  
I'm wising up, I'm wising up to them.  
They seem like good friends.  
Best friends.  
Bit I'm wising up, I'm wising up to them.  
_

_You're making friends with the fireflies.  
You know when they die, their light stays alive.  
But the things that they say are not what they seem.  
So you've been called to tell us what they mean._

_\- Fireflies - Chris Garneau_

**What's Yours is Mine, What's Mine is also Mine**

This time when I knocked on the Minamino family's door, there was a single occupant. Kurama's green eyes sparkled warmly as he welcomed me into the home, though it was unclear if the friendly expression was sincere. I entered into the breezeway, but didn't make any move to go further. He seemed ready to leave as well, finally in something other than that garish uniform. The black slacks and fine brown overcoat cut a much more mature figure than magenta.

"I received your message," I informed him after the normal greetings were exchanged. "I understand your mothers hospital bills may have significantly drained your bank accounts, so I've brought my own money, should you need it."

His eyes widened comically, and it occurred to me that my offer may have come across as rude.

"Not to say that you aren't able to support yourself, but I understand the monetary difficulties associated with losing a parent, or at least having one out of commission. Considering this is a single-parent household, I'm not entirely sure how you've managed to this point. As it will be my job for the foreseeable future to ensure you don't fall back into your thieving ways, I've decided this was an appropriate step to take." I folded my hands in front of my pink skirt (I had also decided to change before our appointment, if only to lessen the chance of being recognized) and waited for his response. He only blinked for a moment, shck apparent on his face.

"You've brought your own family's money?" he asked, and I tilted my head to peer out the window, seeing two middle-aged women walking slowly by and not bothering to hide their stares.

"No, I receive a weekly allowance. I assure you it is enough, it's been accumulating for years." The women bent their heads together, whispering and gesturing towards the Minamino home. Speculating about the boy's visitor, or gossiping about his recovering mother? Either one was acceptable, I'd anticipated some attention as a young girl entering the home of a young man.

"I can't accept this, it belongs to you. I will make do," he said, and I raised a brow, glancing away from the window for a moment to give him a questioning look.

"What else would I spend it on? Transit hardly makes a dent, and I rarely eat out." He seemed to have no answer for that, and the women had since passed by the second window, disappearing down the walkway. "We should leave now before the salary men pack the buses full."

We left shortly, Kurama taking an extra minute to retrieve his mothers shopping bag. The bus ride was hardly ten minutes to the nearest shopping center, which included several grocery store chains. He was silent the entire way there, which was normal transportation etiquette, but I couldn't help but notice how deep in thought he appeared to be. I chose to ignore it, reasoning that if it was important enough, he would bring it up.

We stepped off at the bus station, standing under the afternoon sun amidst the bustling crowds. I looked up at Kurama, who was already staring down at me, and gestured to the open market across the street.

"I assume you know your way around." He nodded with quirked lips, and together we walked under the tents. Immediately, my senses were assaulted on all fronts, and if this weren't completely expected for the market, I would suspect the demon of drawing me into an elaborate trap. Baked goods made their presence known through sweet aromas. Various vegetable and fruit stands bore bright advertisements above the equally eye-catching merchandise. Further down were the meats and other such animal products. The crowd was not as dense as it could be, but it was still noisy and a little too close for comfort.

"Let's try to use our time efficiently, and not get distracted," I advised, though he didn't appear to be listening, already on his way towards a stand full of various kinds of apples. He threw an amused smile over his shoulder.

"I take it you don't shop often." I raised a brow, but followed. When I reached him, he was picking up individual fruits, examining them, then either setting them back down or putting them in his bag. I was familiar with the idea of checking for bruises, but something about the sedated pace he set seemed intentional. When I saw an emerald flash in the corner of his eyes and the slow smirk, I was quite certain of that fact.

He took his time with everything, and I bore it with a blank look. Every now and then, a customer or vendor would recognize him, or he them, and a brief, irritatingly bland conversation would follow. At these points, it was my job to play the part of 'close family friend' and display endearing smiles, tittering laughter, and admiring gazes directed at "Shuichi".

"Hotaru-Chan has been most helpful," he explained to one elderly woman, a deceptively adoring, simpering expression on his face as he gave me a knowing look. "I've been lucky to have her support through all this, and it does Mother well to see me with friends rather than fretting at her bedside." I smiled back sweetly as the woman chuckled.

"That's good to hear! Our poor Shuichi, such a good boy doesn't deserve such hardship. But you said she was getting better?" The womans concern seemed genuine enough, if only for the sake of decorum, and I reciprocated with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

"She made a miraculous turn for the best just a few days ago," I said with an excited smile. "With any luck, she'll be home in the next week or two, and Shuichi-Kun here can go shopping with her instead of dragging me along. He hates to admit it, but he likes the company." I gave the demon a playful, light shove with my elbow, and he feigned embarrassment.

"Ah, Hotaru-Chan," he complained in his smooth tenor, but the woman only laughed, patting his arm.

"You two run along now, and behave!" She winked at Kurama, whose cheeks reddened in an impressive display of manufactured bashfulness, and he lead me away at a slightly hurried pace. We had reached the section for meats, and both of us went in different directions. He set off to peruse the beef while I gravitated towards the fish and other seafood. The smell, usually quite atrocious, wasn't nearly as rank here as it was in the market of Kaidan. I may recommend Shizuru come here on her shopping trips, if not for the distance. It was a fair bit south and very out of the way, but the fresher catch might be worth it.

"Shuichi-Kun," I called, feeling his energy moving closer. "Do you have a preference of fish?" He stopped beside me and I glanced into his bag. It was almost full with a wrapped packet of some cut of cow on top. Below, the leaves of carrots and shiny skin of an eggplant could be seen, among other things.

"Do you?" he returned, and I shrugged.

"I've always been partial to salmon, though Shizuru always manages to dry them out to the point where they're indistinguishable from the paper they came wrapped in." He gave a short bark of laughter, and the scene was so mundane in its civility, so pedestrian, I almost felt comfortable. The domestic ease with which we traded banter would indicate a familiarity that stretched far beyond a time frame of just four days. He was personable, friendly even, especially in front of those humans who knew him as Minamino. It was somewhat relaxing.

The bag was full, both our wallets significantly thinner, and it was starting to get dark. Despite the fading light, the market seemed to only grow more active, pushing us out onto the sidewalk to avoid the dense crowds. I breathed a sigh, looking around for a clock to mark the time I had left. Kurama reached for my arm, his fingertips just brushing the pale grey sleeves of my sweater. I felt the touch, moving to push his hand away when he spoke.

"Perhaps we could go in there," he gestured to a building with bright lights still illuminating the window display. It would be closing soon though. "We have some time to look around, if you would like."

I raised a brow curiously.

"That's a boutique," I pointed out, and he nodded. "But we're here for groceries." _Which we now have_, I added to myself. He offered a charming smile.

"I only thought you might like to see what they have there, while we're already here. You came all this way and brought your own money, so I thought I might at least offer."

"They won't have anything for you there, it's for women," I explained, then paused. "Is there an issue with my fashion choices?"

He blinked, taken aback, and recoiled slightly. I may have looked offended, and perhaps I was. I'd spent a great deal of time on my wardrobe to ensure it was up to the fashion standards of my age group, and more than that, I found my clothes appealing. True they were perhaps too modest, to the point of prudishness, but my body wasn't exactly the type to be displayed. I was too often mistaken for younger than truth, the lack of any discernible figure not at all bolstering my claims at being thirteen. Was he then implying that it was too childish?

"No, not at all. I imagined it must have been an inconvenience to you to be here, supervising a task so tedious. If you wanted to spend some of our excursion on yourself, I would be perfectly fine with it."

That was sweet, I think, or it was meant to be. He was certainly racking up points for courteous consideration today, but the facade of mild-mannered, even-tempered Minamino Shuichi was of little interest to me. My expression blank, I tilted my head in question.

"I don't want to, and I don't need to. I am already going to have a pleasant dinner with a handsome boy tonight, and I think that's reward enough." He looked bemused, almost at a loss for words and a little pink. I walked around him, gesturing for him to follow me back to the bus stop. I had timed our visit well enough, and a pointless trip to the clothing store would only waste precious minutes. I already had a full wardrobe, which would not need to change any time soon.

"I see," he said carefully, then gave a polite smile. "And where are you and your mystery date going to spend the evening?" We stood by the street lamp, waiting for the next transport to arrive. It wouldn't be long now.

"His home," I replied casually. Kurama's brows lifted in surprise and he turned to look at me more fully.

"Oh? With his family?" I shook my head. "Isn't that a bit improper?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"It might seem so, but I highly doubt his mother will mind. She's not exactly in a state to argue the point even if she _was_ averse. And as far as I know, there is no father in the picture. At least, I've never met his father or even seen a photograph, so his existence is questionable." Kurama hummed quietly, not inquiring any further.

The ride back was just as quiet, if only warmer for the heat of the many bodies now around us. Men and women in business attire lined the seats and aisles, tired, almost empty expressions begging for the sweetness of sleep- temporary or eternal? It was hard to tell with these single-minded workers, each identical to the next in their polite silence and routine exhaustion. The monotony of their lives irritated me, just as the muted, drab greys and browns they all seemed incapable of escaping. For such a lively city, the skeleton of it was certainly morose.

The rules of common courtesy dictated that Kurama was obligated to invite me inside. I accepted, and I ignored his surprise as I shouldered past his tall frame, removing my shoes and placing them on the mat.

"You'll be late for your dinner," he reminded me, and I smiled, quirking a brow. And it was real.

"That's impossible, I'm already here." To say his look of stunned realization was amusing was understating the value of the experience. Quite proudly, I made my way into the kitchen and began to search the cupboards and cabinets for the proper utensils. The fluctuation in his energy indicated I had succeeded in offending him, which was a manageable consequence.

"Am I to understand you've just invited yourself to dinner? With me?" I gave him a small grin over my shoulder, pulling a large pan from the overhead hooks and setting it on the stove.

"Yes. Tell me what you would like to eat, and I will prepare the meal. I'm not familiar with where everything goes, so you'll have to put away the things I'm not using- oh, and please set the table."

"Kuwabara-San-" his dangerously low voice earned him a small courtesy glance.

"Hotaru," I corrected, interrupting him before he could make whatever threat he was intending, or whatever impolite refusal. His comically confused irritation made my lips quirk up once again. "You may call me Hotaru."

There was something almost magical about giving orders to someone else in their own home. It was a bold move that I could never have seen myself daring to make with any regular human. With humans, I had an image to maintain. I was young and powerless in their eyes, and it was best if that was the way they continued to see me. But here? Here, _I_ had the power, his aggressively fluctuating energy aside. I wasn't bound by social obligations when my rank as an officer of Spirit Law was above that of a criminal.

I turned fully, taking in his tense, ready stance, arms still loaded with the days haul. His eyes were hard and more than a little suspicious, glittering with ire that was matched only by my sister on a very bad day.

"There are a few things I would like to discuss with you, and I would prefer that you cooperate on your own merit. Seeing as I am in the employ of Spirit World, I have the authority to enforce any rules and regulations as I see fit, but I'd rather avoid conflict. So, what would you like to eat?"

The two of us stared each other down, him with barely concealed fury, and my own with the best imitation of Father when the rice is under cooked. Silently, Kurama entered the kitchen fully, setting the large bag on the counter and sorting the items deftly. Some he set aside, while others he pushed towards me.

"Something with these, if you would like." I glanced down, briefly running through the recipes I knew before settling on one, then gave him a smile.

"_Kabayaki_ over rice with mixed vegetables," I suggested, and he nodded, never looking in my direction. I searched for the tools I needed, as well as the ingredients for the sauce that we hadn't picked up earlier, and set about preparing the eel. Kurama made quick work of putting away all the unused ingredients, and even had the nice idea to fetch the rest of what I needed.

He still refused to meet my eyes, his cold demeanor rather off-putting compared to our earlier ease. Perhaps I had come on too aggressively. I forget sometimes how delicate human sensibilities can be. Despite his status as decidedly not human, he had still been among them for the past fifteen years. It was only logical to assume he picked up some of their habits, and values.

"I am expected to act a certain way, as you are," I said, watching him from the corner of my eye. The only indication that he heard me was the slight pause as he set the water to boil for the rice, and the flicker of light dancing at his fingertips. "There are facets of myself that I don't want other humans to see, most notably at the moment would be my status as a Spirit Detective. I have no need to hide this from you, obviously, but the concept of real authority is still new to me. In short, I'm not at all certain how to talk to you. I'm guessing." I paused, waiting for him to speak. He did not. Further prompting was needed.

"I understand I present myself as a threat, and I apologize. I don't want to be your enemy. I think we can be allies. ... Before Urameshi, there was no one I could potentially consider a friend, much less someone I would find useful in a capacity other than maintaining a certain image. As such, encountering yet another person like that so soon, who is vastly different in any and all ways from the first, is challenging my understanding of social normality. I ask you to be patient with me, and I will do my best to learn from my missteps."

There was not much more to say. I had explained myself as best as I could, and I hoped my directness wouldn't be offensive. From what I had seen of him so far, he was just as painfully forward as Yu-Urameshi, so it stands to reason he would appreciate honesty. Not that putting my own shortcomings on display was particularly easy for me, but it was a small price to pay for his fealty. In any case, foxes were predators by nature. Any perceived vulnerability would be a perfect target for him, and as such was the perfect bait.

I was halfway through mixing the sauce for the eel by the time he spoke in his calm voice, gaining my attention.

"Forgive me for saying so, but you do not act your age." This was expected, and I waited for him to finish patiently. He fixed me with an inscrutable look, eyes piercing emerald shards. "In fact, you speak and carry yourself much more like demons I've known rather than a human girl. It makes me wonder exactly who I may really be speaking to."

He stood, hands deceptively exposed on the counter. I weighed the merits of telling him that particular secret, then returned to my task.

"Old soul," I said by way of explanation. That small hidden truth would remain mine for now, until I determined if he could be trusted. "Circumstances in my life arose, some of a physical, human nature, some of a spiritual nature, and I had to mature quickly to keep up. There are advantages and disadvantages," _like re-learning how to socialize with other children_, "but I can assure you, this," and I gestured to myself, "Is me, Kuwabara Hotaru. I am not some entity in disguise or reincarnated demon. I really am thirteen years old."

He held my gaze for a moment before he looked away with a quiet noise of acceptance, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

"Very well then, how do you wish to proceed? You speak of an alliance, though I highly doubt you're acting on behalf of Spirit World." I gave him a smile, thinly slicing the carrot into slim strips. Clever fox.

"You are correct. As I have said before, Spirit World does not factor into this equation. I believe you are useful and a valuable asset, and I would prefer you on my side over theirs."

"Has Spirit World wronged you in some way?" he asked, his tone cautious.

"Not wronged, no, but they have done little to endear themselves to me. As it is, our relationship is fragile." I grabbed a cucumber next and cut it the same way as the carrot. "I am under the impression, however, that you've had dealings with them in the past."

He dropped a square of butter into the pan.

"Indeed, it was their elite team of fighters that was responsible for ending my previous existence." I tilted my head, ears perked attentively. "They are known as the Spirit Defense Force, and they specialize in hunting down and exterminating particularly powerful, malevolent demons."

The cucumber joined the slices of carrot in a small bowl, and I next reached for an onion.

"That's interesting," I commented. "Though I imagine there would need to be some form of measurable power in place to keep that mess of an organization from falling to pieces. And I suppose it does make sense that they would save that special elite group for larger threats. So then, they must employ humans, like myself and Urameshi, to deal with the less imposing enemies. Have you met many psychic humans in your time?"

The water began to boil. The butter melted and began to sizzle. I switched on the small grill that took up half of the stove.

"Many. I have approximately two thousand years of history with humans, and I have met quite a few that were formidable opponents." I briefly wondered how many of these opponents survived their encounters with the fox.

"I see. And how many of them were adults?"

"... Most, if not all."

"So then spiritual awareness is not a phenomenon seen only in children." Of course it wasn't. Both my parents had been aware to some degree, though I don't believe either of them were able to use their energy.

"Of course not," he responded, somewhat condescendingly.

"Then why is it, do you think, Spirit World insists on recruiting two children barely into their teens into an ongoing fight against the looming threat of demons encroaching onto the Human World? Why is it that they don't give that job to proven capable adults?"

I didn't have to look at him to feel the moment he understood, the very air in the room shifting to accommodate his expressive aura. It flickered briefly before dimming to a barely perceptible hum, no longer waiting under his skin with breathless anticipation.

"Children are easier to manipulate, to control and mold into loyal, demon-despising servants." I nodded, pasting an innocent smile on my face.

"See, silly thoughts like that make me wonder just what Spirit World needs from me and Yusuke. Why would a benevolent, seemingly omnipotent and purely altruistic faction need to exploit unsuspecting children to do their work for them? I just have to ask myself if they really have our best interests in mind, or the best interests of Human World for that matter."

He gave a small nod, reaching over to take the spoon from my hand. I batted him away lightly, dumping an entire bag of bean sprouts over the pan and stirring the vegetables into the butter. Instead, he poured two glasses of water and set them on the table.

"And you believe me to be a lesser threat than Spirit World, despite the fact that I am what I am? You realize the Spirit Detectives main purpose is to protect Human World from _demons_." My brow furrowed.

"Clearly, given your motives in your most recent escapade, simply being a demon doesn't guarantee that you will be evil. You have yet to give me doubt that you are exactly what you claim. As it stands, you are the most transparent person I have dealt with thus far in my association with Spirit World, and that alone makes you valuable, whatever skills you may have aside."

He frowned, stirring the rice while I multi-tasked with the vegetables and eel, basting the meat and flipping it over on the grill for even coverage.

"So you wish to use me as you perceive they are using you?" he asked, almost disapprovingly. I shrugged.

"At least I'm up front about it. However, I am _not_ Spirit World. I have no great plan or hidden agenda in regards to you. I only think you are useful, and unlikely to come with many risks. You're obviously a good person with an unshakable morality and many years of experience under your belt. I'd be an idiot not to try and use that to my advantage. Of course, this will not come into play for quite a while. Bowls?"

Without a break in focus, he pulled two large white bowls from a nearby cabinet, scooping equal amounts of rice into both as he spoke.

"You say you don't have a plan, yet you don't strike me as the type to simply be waiting for the other shoe to drop."

I began to divide the contents of the pan into the two bowls as evenly as I could.

"Of course not, I'm playing the long game to win a prize. It isn't something I need your help with, nor does it have any effect on this alliance." At least, it shouldn't. Would I grow to dislike Kurama on principle if I regained my humanity? Yus-_Urameshi_ accepted him well enough, so that was somewhat reassuring. "I ask nothing of you but your friendship, and your aid should any cases prove too much to handle. There are things I can learn from you, and things _you_ can gain by being on the good side of the Spirit Detectives. It's likely that you aren't going to go unbothered by Spirit World anymore now that they know you're here. You could use allies just as much as we can."

With three strips of the _kabayaki_ over each serving of rice, we took our dishes and went to the table, sitting directly across from one another. He handed me a pair of chopsticks, which I accepted with a brief thanks. After the normal "_itadakimasu_", we began to eat, our conversation more spaced out now between bites.

"What is this prize, if I may ask, and what do you plan to do once you attain it?" I hummed in thought, taking a sip of water before responding.

"I'm not entirely sure if what I'm after will change my perspective, so I can't say for sure what my end goal is. I do know that I trust Spirit World about as far as I can throw it, and while they pretend to be completely inept at times, they are surprisingly competent in matters that concern me. Koenma is hiding something from me. Something important. I intend to find out exactly what it is. I'll base my next move off that information."

"You avoided my first question," Kurama pointed out, and I scowled. "What is it you want so badly from the people you claim not to trust?"

I raised a few strips of carrots to my mouth, paused, then lowered it. My lips twitched with words unspoken, as I hadn't decided which to use. I breathed a sigh, deciding in this instance that honesty would be the safest route.

"You have your mother," I began, and he stopped all movement, focusing intently on me with hawkish eyes. I looked back unflinchingly. "You would do anything for her to keep her happy, safe, and ignorant of your true nature. She is your reason to continue existing in this world. I, on the other hand, do not have a mother. I have a brother." He did not look surprised, but he did relax, leaning back in his seat with a nod of understanding.

"'I won't let you do this to my brother again.' That's what you told Yusuke on the night of the full moon. I had wondered what you meant by that."

I folded my hands to keep them from moving too much.

"Urameshi died several months ago," I told him, and his eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. "Through the machinations of Spirit World, he was resurrected and made their Detective. His death destroyed my brother. I'd never known one person could have such a profound effect on another, but without Urameshi there to fight him, to challenge him, Kazuma started to wither. It was maddening to watch. It hurt to see.

"So you should know, I never do anything without asking myself three questions first." I held up one finger.

"Do I need this to survive?" Two fingers. "Do I need this to maintain my image?" Three. "Will this make Kazuma happy? If none of those questions receives a positive answer, then I don't act. This thing that Spirit World can give me... it's not for myself. If I can attain it, it will benefit Kazuma greatly. That is enough of a reason for me to risk dealing with them, just as your mother was reason enough for you to join forces with Hiei and Gouki."

I straightened, returning my attention to my meal. That was more than enough bait. Kurama had his pick of hooks to bite at, and each one would bring us closer in mutual understanding. People cling to similarities, as it is human nature to notice patterns. Should he choose any of these points, he could easily see himself in me, thereby leading him to subconsciously trust me. Even if we should happen to disagree, he would be compelled to-

"That does explain quite a bit, like your complete lack of interest in the boutique earlier today." I blinked at his comment, unsure what he meant by it. That annoyed me.

"Well, yes, I suppose." What a strange thread for him to choose. It wasn't exactly one I had laid out, but some quick thinking should help to bend it in the right direction.

He didn't give me a chance for quick thinking.

"I find it strange is all. You did tell me once, upon our first real meeting, that you could never boast the same depth of compassion for anyone that I could for my mother, yet you were ready to give up your life the moment you realized Yusuke would have. At first, I thought it might have been a hidden affection for the boy, and it may yet be." His eyes twinkled knowingly, but I could only imagine what he thought he knew. "You would have sacrificed yourself for your brothers happiness. Misguided though it may have been, that does indicate a certain level of compassion."

I blinked, taken aback.

"I... suppose I haven't really thought about that, with everything else that has happened. But maybe I just didn't realize how much I cared." Dangerous. This was straying dangerously close to complete exposure. Putting out an emotional lure was one thing. He was dragging me off the shore. "It hardly matters in the end. No one died."

"If you had your way, we wouldn't be sitting here now," he countered. "It certainly does matter. I think you are far more compassionate than you like to pretend."

"Will you agree to an alliance or not?" My voice was calm despite my annoyance. He may have sensed the underlying emotion, because he let the subject drop, stirring the contents of his bowl idly.

"I hope you'll allow me time to consider this."

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

* * *

"Kurama believes that Hiei is biding his time until the next full moon, and will attempt to steal the remaining artifacts then," I said, jumping out of the way of Urameshi's fist. He let the momentum carry him forward without stumbling, turning in place to lash out again.

"Why would he do that? I get you can only use the mirror then, but why not get everything now? Isn't it kinda risky to wait so long?"

I lunged forward, delivering a sharp kick to his side. He took it with a grunt, grabbing my leg and launching me towards a wall. I threw out my hands, just barely catching myself before my back could slam against the wood. I rolled back onto my feet and spun neatly out of the way as he charged me once again. I threw an elbow at his face, catching his cheek with a dull crack. He yelped, scrambling away with a hand clutching his mouth. He glared, his jaw working behind his fingers and I briefly wondered if I had fractured something.

"He tells me Hiei was watching when we arrested him, and this might be the reason he has decided to wait. He must anticipate that Kurama would betray him, which is a reasonable concern. Rather than go after the artifacts now and risk losing them all before the time comes, he wants to wait until the closest possible moment, so as not to expose himself too early. However," I launched myself forward on the balls of my feet, going for a straight punch to the face.

"Kurama insists that Hiei is acting strangely, and that his patience is severely-" After I feinted my punch, Urameshi leaned back (a smear of blood on his face) as I thought he would, and I sent my left fist up into his stomach. Only, it never connected. He feinted his dodge, moving to the other side and cloths-lining me with his bicep. My throat constricted for a moment, closing painfully on a breath that never found its way to my lungs and I was thrown back, landing prone on the mats. I growled, throwing my weight into my legs and jumping to my feet. "Limited."

"Whoa! You wanna teach me how to do that?" Urameshi asked with excited eyes, referring to the kick up. I raised a brow, trying to control my breathing.

"You can't already?" I was surprised. He was athletic enough, flexible too if this session was teaching me anything. "Later, after you're soundly beaten."

He grinned devilishly, and that look was enough to make the corners of my lips twitch.

"We'll see about that!" He rushed me again, and I stepped out of the way, kneeling and snapping my hand down to chop the back of his knee. He buckled under his weight, pitching forward and pinwheeling his arms to recover. My other fist shot out toward his ribs, a dull thud echoing in my ear. He yelped, now completely off balance and crashed to the floor. I moved to bring my elbow down on his solar plexus, but he rolled out of the way just in time. My arm hit the floor with enough force to have broken either the wood or my joint if not for the mats.

He was up in an instant, red-stained fist coming for my face. I dodged, spinning to the side to get some distance. My eyes grew wide when he was in front of me again, slamming both palms into my shoulders jarringly to set me off balance. I didn't let him, pushing off from the floor to jump back, gaining back equilibrium on my own. He took a step, but I was already rushing him, shoving my shoulder into his chest hard. The breath left him in a huff and he doubled over. I moved away

"So Hiei's waiting to attack us, is that it?" He wheezed, rising back up to a crouch. I mirrored his stance. He was not breathing hard enough. Why was he so damn resilient?

"It seems to be that way. Have you noticed anything unusual lately?" He gave me a strange look. "Feeling like you're being watched, perhaps a presence where you know it doesn't belong, even nightmares can be an indication."

His eyes flickered down thoughtfully and I took the opportunity, slamming into him with both hands pressing his shoulders and shoving back, unbalancing him yet again. It didn't stick as he jumped back, regaining balance the same exact way I had. That self-satisfied grin was all I needed to see to know what just happened. I growled, darting forward.

It was mostly a blur for me, but suffice it to say I did not come out victorious. He had one knee pressed against my back, the other trapping my legs so I couldn't grab his head between my knees (he learned very quickly, it seemed) and his hand holding both of my wrists against the point where he dug into my spine.

"Alright, _get off!_" I snarled, and he shook with high-pitched laughter.

"So whats that, three to me now?" he asked, rolling off me to sit casually on the floor. I rose to my knees, shaking out my arms and twisting my back to make sure everything was still in working order. I also didn't bother correcting him that it was _four_ wins to him, and zero to myself.

"Shut up," I replied, walking on embarrassingly shaky legs towards the cooler. I tossed him a bottle of water, which he chugged with gusto. I only then noticed the thin sheen of sweat on his brow and the wet stains on the front of his shirt. Looking down, I found myself in a similar state. I sighed, returning to the training mats and dropping down beside him with as much grace as a newborn horse.

"That was fun! We should do that all the time." He sighed, lying back with a contented grin. "Feels great scrapping with someone who can actually fight back."

At least one of us was happy with the outcome.

"It isn't _terrible_," I admitted reluctantly. "But how is it that you always win?" He gave me a cheeky look, to which I frowned in response.

"Because I'm the best, that's why," he boasted, but Kazumas words left my mouth before I could really think of them.

"Nobody is the best," I countered. "There's always someone better, some _thing_ better to strive for. You proved that easily enough just now." At his curious look, I explained the two improvements to his fighting style. He shrugged them off.

"Yeah, well, you're just easy to read. It's good stuff, but it's always the same. Plus I'm just stronger." That was debatable, but I wouldn't be having that argument right now. Now, I was focused on his analysis of my fighting.

"Always the same?"

"Well yeah, its a pattern. You feint, then you go for the actual move, then you try to get me off balance. Unless you start to get pissed and you just move. Then you can actually do some damage." My brow furrowed and I gave a hum of acknowledgement. What was it I said yesterday about pattern recognition being one of humanities strongest qualities? I'd related it to Kurama, but it obviously applied to Urameshi as well. I continued to underestimate him, despite knowing deep inside him lay a master tactician. I have to work on that.

"I see. Thank you."

"... Uh, yeah, sure. Crazy."

I laughed, leaning back on my hands and staring at the wooden ceiling. My senses reached out, spirit energy not yet tapped into today.

"You didn't answer. Have you noticed anything like what I described?" I glanced back at him as he blinked in confusion. Then his expression cleared and his face scrunched up in concentration.

"I- I think? I dunno, maybe. I can usually feel when I'm being watched, but it's not intense, like seeing him in my head or anything." I nodded, lips quirking down.

"Alright, sit up." I ignored the boy's whining complaints, pulling on the front of his shirt until he was facing me. His foot bumped my thigh as he maneuvered his legs to be more comfortable. I stared, realizing he had never cleaned the blood from his face, or his hand. With a sigh, I stood once again, with just a smidgen less strength than the last time, and grabbed a hand towel from the shelf above the trophy stand.

"Here, clean off your face. You look like a savage," I told him, tossing the white fabric at his chest. He grinned with a "thanks" and did so, pouring some of the water from his bottle... no, wait, his bottle was behind him. That was _my_ water. I growled, but he wiped his face roughly without acknowledging me. I rolled my eyes, plopping back down with a huff. Yu-Urameshi gave me a questioning look, setting the stained cloth to the side.

"Alright, you remember how you use the Spirit Gun," I began, and he nodded. Then his expression turned sour.

"Are you gonna lecture me? I skipped school for a reason you know." I rolled my eyes.

"No, not lecture. You're going to use your spirit energy as... sonar. Like a bat," I explained simply, and the look of interest in his eyes was encouraging.

"So what, I'll be able to walk around with my eyes closed?" he asked, and I gave a nonchalant shrug.

"You could do that, yes. I may not have had access to my spirit energy for very long, but my awareness has always been strong. I suppose you could say my brain is naturally connected to my energy, while yours isn't. This is something new to me as well, so I'm improvising a bit." My admission cost my pride a small injury, but it was negligible. I was teaching the dolt something he didn't understand, so that had to count towards my superiority somehow.

"You'll have to will your energy to flow through you first, not just collect in your hand. With the Spirit Gun, you are focusing it. What you need to do is feel it, allow it to remain where it is, and just stir it." He blinked at me incredulously, then gave a mock glare, crossing his arms.

"You've had your powers for, like, a week! How do you know what to do?" I scoffed, raising a condescending brow.

"What do you think I do in my spare time?" Reading the books from Spirit World, and expanding on my own abilities. It was an all-consuming hobby now, but it was rewarding. The things I've learned about my own energy, the limits and aspects I hadn't thought of, it was all very exciting.

"Nerd," he muttered, and I glowered at him.

"Energy. Focus. _Now_."

He grumbled, shutting his eyes with irritation. That look soon fell away, his temple twitching, a muscle jumping in his cheek as his teeth clenched with how hard he was concentrating. I was a bit taken aback by how seriously he was taking this. I had expected him to put up more of a fight. Then again, I suppose he was eager to fight Hiei.

"I think... I got it," Urameshi spoke hesitantly, and I leaned forward a touch.

"Can you see it?" I asked softly, not wanting to break the miracle that was his concentration. He nodded.

"Yeah, it's the same kinda blueish white. It's just sitting there."

"Will it to move. Just in circles if you can, get a feel for how it works." His eyes popped open and he bared his teeth.

"I know how it works, I can use the Spirit Gun." I gave him a harsh glare, to which he responded by flipping me off and going back to his silent meditation. Because that was indeed what I had tricked him into doing. It took another minute or so, and I watched as his breathing began to even out. He wasn't going to fall asleep, was he?

"Okay, now what?" he asked.

"It's just moving around? How do you feel? Describe how the energy interacts with your body." He cracked an eye open, giving me a disturbed look.

"What are we, in health class? Just tell me what to do next, Crazy." I rolled my eyes.

"Now you can direct your energy up, into your mind. Let it go where it wants to from there, but keep it there when you get it."

It was strange, but as his energy began to move up and extend his senses, I could feel it. It reached to me like it did before I had access to my own, and I could feel my light rising to meet it. I pushed the power down, focusing on the task at hand. His skin seemed to dance with an almost imperceptible iridescence, blue in color. It wasn't supposed to do that, but that could just be because of his inexperience. It bled into the corners of his eyelids, sparkling over the tanned cheeks, the furrowed brow and pert nose luminescent and smooth from the calming effect of his energy. I think I could understand Yukimura's attra-

_SNAP!_

I jolted to my knees just as Yusuke's eyes opened wide as an owl. His swift intake of air was followed by his gaze darting around furiously, and a spark of pride lit in my chest. It was enough to distract me from the malicious energy we had both just reacted to, if only for a short moment. I couldn't help but think it was particularly convenient timing.

"You felt that," I praised, but he didn't seem to hear me, standing up on legs that were, I noticed enviously, not nearly as shaky as mine had been.

"Hey! Fuck off, you three-eyed bastard!"

With a rush of anger, the eyes disappeared, and Hiei's presence diminished. The teen stood a moment longer before dropping back onto the floor with a satisfied grunt. I gave a huff of laughter and a smile.

"Well, you certainly told him. I doubt he'll ever show his face again after that scathing insult. His ego will never recover." Yus-_Urameshi_ shot me a dirty look, and I hid a smile behind my hand. It was real.

"Whatever. Ah!" He threw his hands into the air angrily. "Dammit, I lost it."

"But you did feel him there, you know it's something you can do," I encouraged. "You just need to practice." He gave me a look. I shrugged. "Or not, knowing you."

"Glad you understand," he replied with a cheeky grin, then his smile grew less evil. "So you've been messing around with your powers, huh? Let's see it."

I felt my brows both shoot up in surprise.

"Oh. Alright," I said slowly. I hadn't expected him to be interested in that, but I suppose it was good to know what your partner was capable of. Teaching him something useful was one thing, but I wasn't sure he could replicate the way my power manifested. I held up my right hand, the violet aura bleeding into my skin seamlessly from no clear starting point. It soon enveloped my entire forearm, moving to form a sharp edge that extended just beyond my fingertips. My lips pursed as I concentrated on the wavering form. It pulsed and blazed, but under my focus, gradually calmed to a solid shape.

What remained was a translucent blade, seeming to grow from my arm like a crystal and ending at a lethal point. Purely a stabbing weapon, shaped rather like a stake. Uramesh's eyes widened as he took in the blade. Only the constant motion of the glimmering energy within gave away that it wasn't a solid object.

Once I decided he had looked at that long enough, I moved on to the slightly more complex. The energy moved when I willed it, flattening around my arm into a rapier-style blade, one long sharp edge meant for slashing and defending. I shifted my hand, relaxing the fingers and curling them. My energy moved to accommodate, copying the shape set by my fingers. Claws, for when my range of motion was limited.

"I'm working on sickles," I said, continuing to move my energy around the palm of my hand. A spike stabbed out from the direct center, branching out into smaller spikes at the end for a brief second.

"Getting them to hold form without the base of my arm is difficult."

A gasp from my right came far too loudly and dramatically for me to believe it was real, so I didn't bother turning off the energy when I turned an exasperated look to my old sensei, clad in his favorite blue and gold printed yukata, hair held back in a bun. He had a look of exaggerated shock and horror, a hand clutching his chest as he leaned against both his cane and the wooden door frame. He stared at my arm, lifting a hand to point.

"No! Not you too! You little brat, that's not fair! Surpassin' your sensei before you even hit puberty."

Rude. Dramatic. Loud. Overbearing. Ornery.

Indeed, this was Koori-Sensei. I rolled my eyes, calling the energy back within me and crossing my arms.

"Are you quite finished?" I asked, irritation saturating my tone. He gave a 'harrumph', turning his head snobbishly.

"Ya don't come to see me in almost a year, and now look at ye! Ya got your energy without me there, ye got a job, ye got a boyfriend, anything else I need to know about, Lil' Brat?" I nearly choked on my own saliva, staring wide-eyed at my aged sensei.

"I _told_ you already, he is my _partner_," I hissed, and he blew a strand of black hair out of his eyes.

"Gee, that what you young'uns are callin' it nowadays?" I gave a quiet growl, narrowing my eyes at the man and suddenly regretting making this decision. However, Urameshi insisted on fighting. If he was going to beg for it every day, it would at least be somewhere close to home, and where first aid was available if he needed it. Not to mention, the mats made it far less jarring when we inevitably fell.

This was my only option.

"Hey, cool dojo Old Man," Urameshi commented with a grin. "We'll try not to tear it up when we start using our Spirit Energy, 'kay Pops?" I watched the vein in Koori-Sensei's temple burst as he finally encountered someone as rude and crass as himself.

"Oi, watch yer mouth ya little shit! I still got some fight left in this cane." The threat wasn't as empty as some might think, as I myself had been the target of said cane before. Not that it had ever hit me, but he certainly tried.

I stood before the inevitable argument could begin, bowing deeply.

"Thank you for allowing us the use of the dojo, Sensei. I appreciate it, and I apologize for cutting you off the way I did. The past year has been trying, to say the least." I straightened to see him nodding, looking me up and down.

"Yeah, I can tell. Ye kept yer hair short." Suddenly, as if he had forgotten the altercation just a few seconds ago, he looked at Urameshi with a conspiratory smile. "Ye know, I was always tellin' her to get it cut when she was a real little brat, but she always liked it long. Kept tellin' her she was gonna get it caught, or some real nasty fighter was gonna pull on it. Girls, ya know?" Urameshi laughed, and I whipped my head around to stare at him.

"Tell me about it!"

Oh. Oh no, this was not going to happen. I absolutely refuse. I glared at my Sensei's pinched old face, walking back to the door where my clothing bag and shoes waited. My legs were no longer shaking

"We need to leave. We have school in the morning," I reminded the boy, but he only blew a raspberry at me, muttering another 'nerd' under his breath. With great reluctance, he got up and followed me, slipping on his shoes while Koori-Sensei watched from his position in the doorway. On the other side was his living room and kitchen. We might have woken him when Urameshi shouted at Hiei, but I currently didn't have it in me to feel any remorse.

"Thank you again, I'm sure we will see you again very soon," I said, bowing again. I glared at Urameshi a full five seconds before he gave a sarcastic bow. I wasn't even aware anyone could bow sarcastically. Sensei waved me off.

"Yeah, well, that's why ye have a key. Don't be a stranger again, ya hear?" I gave him a smile, nodding. We walked out into the crisp night air, the street lamps just barely beginning to flicker on in the dusk. I took a breath of the questionably fresh air, sighing as the tension in my shoulders eased. Dealing with Koori-Sensei alone was difficult enough, but having someone for him to feed off of was just... Impossible. At least I never had to re-learn how to act around him. He seemed to pick up on my change immediately and accommodated me.

That was the only reason he wasn't dead now.

"Man, I'm beat!" Urameshi folded his arms behind his head, stretching out with several satisfying pops and cracks from his joints. I hummed in agreement, fighting back a yawn.

"Yes, that was... fun," I said, hoping I meant it. He quirked a dubious brow, but shrugged.

"Hell yeah. See you tomorrow." His hand smacked my shoulder in a friendly shove, and I rubbed that spot, still sore from him throwing me around by my arm the day before.

"Yes, goodnight."

It was maybe half an hour to my house, the walk fairly quiet save the occasional passerby or group of older men getting off the buses. I could have taken transit, but the brisk pace I set was relaxing, especially compared to the rather brutal sparring earlier.

He thought I was predictable? Easy to read? I had always been too fast for others to notice a pattern, but it seemed I couldn't rely on just my formal training with him. He was... something of a genius. I have no doubt he purposely let me push him just so that he could try to regain his balance the way I had. I hated how many times he had surprised me with his sporadic moments of intelligence. It would be endearing if it weren't so irritating, and if it wasn't myself who was always being surprised.

Urameshi...

Dolt.

Speaking of dolts...

"You were out with Urameshi again, weren't you?" That was an accusation if I'd ever heard one, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand Kazuma's aversion. He was the one so obsessed with the other boy. Shouldn't he at the very least have some mild curiosity? Where was this bitterness coming from?

"Yes," I answered honestly. I thought about telling him _where_ we were, but that might upset him further. "We were sparring after visiting another mutual friend."

Kazuma glowered from the hallway. I hadn't even gotten to take off my shoes yet.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked in a low voice, and I raised a brow, bemused.

"We were _sparring_," I repeated with extra inflection. "It isn't meant to be painless."

"There's blood on your shirt," Kazuma pointed out, and I glanced down. It was on my shoulder, more of a smudge of red against the grey backdrop, hardly noticeable unless you knew for certain what blood looked like on certain colored fabrics.

"It's Urameshi's, I hit him hard enough that he bit his tongue." Silence.

Kazuma looked away after a moment, teeth worrying his bottom lip furiously. What did I do? Was I not supposed to injure Urameshi? Was that something Kazuma wanted for himself? Or was it that I was fighting with someone we knew? Did he think I was being abused? I slid off my shoes quietly, setting down my bag and approaching my brother in the same manner one might approach a wounded animal.

"Zu?" I said quietly, my concern overriding my confusion at this point. "Please tell me what I've done wrong."

"A switch flipped, and he looked down at me with the largest, most watery, shocked eyes one could imagine. The dark brown of his iris shimmered as he lay a hand on my shoulder.

"Ru-Ru, no! Y-you didn't do anything! It's just..." He struggled with the words, and I gripped his large hand tightly in my dainty one, hoping to give him the focus he needed to complete his thoughts. It took a moment of his suddering breaths, shoulders trembling like giant mountains in an earthquake, before he could finish.

"It's just you're always off with Urameshi now, and it's like you're never home! And when I'm out there, I never see _him_ either! Like, he wants to fight with _you_, and not me, and you want to be _his_ friend, not mine!"

... Well...

As much as I enjoy Urameshi's company, it couldn't continue if Kazuma was so pained by it. I would have to cancel my agreement with Spirit World immediately to-

But... Oh.

But what about my humanity? How could I be there for him if I continued to lose that? Suddenly, those three questions I always ask weren't enough anymore. Extenuating circumstances, unforeseen setbacks, everything seemed to be working against me at the moment. Kazuma, must you be so difficult? Must you be so... human?

"Look, I'm really happy that you've got friends now, but maybe just let me have a go at Urameshi one of these nights, okay? And maybe be home for dinner too." He was looking at his feet now, shuffling nervously. It had been a long time since he had directly asked anything of me. What other choice was there?

Shizuru leaned out from the living room, her blank eyes showing hints of irritation.

"Kazu, you need to stop being such a baby. The kid's got her own life you know. You can't expect everyone to change how they live just for you," she scolded, and I blinked.

What other choice was there, indeed.

"Of course, Zu," I said, not bothering to look at my sister, who was now glowering at me. "I will talk to Urameshi tomorrow. He _will_ start beating you up again."

Kazuma grinned, about to thank me, and I could see the moment he registered what exactly I had said.

"HEY!"

* * *

Six. _Days._

He couldn't do this anymore.

_They_ couldn't do it anymore.

Tired of waiting. They wouldn't have to if not for that traitorous fox! Curse that Kurama, they would kill him the moment they had the chance. But first, first and foremost, right at the moment, a choice loomed before him.

The brother, or the girlfriend? The answer was obvious, but which detective to weaken... now that was the tricky part. Both potential victims had ties to both detectives, somewhat. The brother might be greater leverage, but the girlfriend would be so much easier. Such a quick thing it would be to steal her away. The brother would make a scene.

_Easy? I don't do things because they're easy._

Well, they did now. _He_ did.

He smiled, three eyes fixed on the sleeping form of Yukimura Keiko.

_Tomorrow... Your miserable existence will end._

* * *

**Okay, next chapter, I promise. I promise we will get the story back on track. Leave me alone right now, just accept the bonding filler.**

**Meow for now, and maybe forever if my head doesn't stop pounding. Kill me now, please.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Warning beforehand, the below italicized section is not family friendly, and considering every other NSFW scene in here, I assume you know its not the smutty type. Please avoid it if this bothers you.**

**It is Wednesday, my dudes. I may not be wearing a Spiderman costume, but rest assured, I am screaming. On with the "sho."**

* * *

_This bloody road remains a mystery._  
_This sudden darkness fills the air._  
_What are we waiting for?_  
_Won't anybody help us?_  
_What are we waiting for?_

_We can't afford to be innocent._  
_Stand up and face the enemy._  
_It's a do or die situation._  
_We will be invincible._

_\- Invincible - Pat Benatar_

**Collateral**

_I stepped onto the stairwell behind a woman in a red dress. Vanilla perfume wafted to my nose in her wake as I followed. Her heels clacked on the stone loudly. Her hair flowed in dark brown curls, expertly styled to display her sensuality. Mika was her name. Her crime was simple, mundane, and I suppose it wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things. However, I'd discovered very early in life that I was rather petty, so even her nearly negligible slight against Kazuma was enough to peak my interest.  
_

_It should have been nearly impossible for the two to interact. Zu was thirteen, this woman was in her early twenties, clearly very well-to-do, yet for some reason sought the attentions of those she obviously considered beneath her. She barely noticed me beside my brother as she flirted her way into a free meal, Kazuma naturally buying into the charming older girl who was so clearly interested in him. _

_She gave him hope, and while he was too stupid to see her ruse for what it was, that didn't matter to me. Kazuma couldn't look after himself in that way. He was far too kind, eager to please, severely lacking self confidence and desperate for recognition. He was the perfect target for a manipulative young thing like her._

_"Excuse me, Miss?" I called, and she stopped abruptly on the landing at the top of the stairs, frowning at me as I joined her. Brown eyes glinted harshly as she assessed me, my school uniform, my innocent, questioning look. There was no recognition on her pretty face, which was only slightly irritating._

_"What do you want kid?" she asked impolitely. I smiled at her serenely, opening my mouth to let the word fall free, not watching for her reaction._

_"Blood."_

_The moment the word left my lips, the baton was out. I maneuvered behind her, snapping my arm out and hitting the backs of her knees with the baton. She cried out as her knees buckled, and I gave her a hard shove off the edge. Her hands grasped for the railing, but I smacked her fingers roughly, forcing her to let go. She tumbled awkwardly down the stairs, her cries cut off very suddenly with a crack, and she stopped rolling once she reached the bottom._

_Her legs were bent at a strange angle, and her neck was twisted just a bit too far. Her hair was splayed out over the concrete like a brown halo, displaying a long neck and ghostly pale face. The position she had landed in made her look like she was posed there purposefully, like a movie star. Pretty, even in death, camera-ready and poised for the shot. Glassy eyes were still bright as they stared off into space, and a tiny trickle of blood ran from her gaping, painted red mouth. Finally, she was beautiful enough to warrant attenion._

_I sighed, noticing her stupid high-heels had remained in tact. I made my way calmly down the steps and stopped at her body. I could practically hear her heart still beating as I brought the baton down onto one of the thin, spindly heels, cracking it in half so that it hung to the shoe by a sliver. I had to make it look convincing, right? I stood, and as I did, I noticed the great pool of blood around her head. It saturated her hair, clumping it together in a sticky mess._

_"You shouldn't be bleeding this much…" I muttered, taking a step back. The blood pulsed, thick and black, as it began to spread. There was no way she had this much in her body. I took another step and stumbled as I tripped over the stairs. The blood was coming closer, spreading like a stain, and rising higher. I gave a yelp of disgust and backed up the stairs clumsily, but the black pool rose with me, climbing up the sides of the stairs without heed to the laws of gravity. From below, the woman stood, her eyes empty and her dress stained black._

_"You said you wanted blood!" she screeched. I stared in shock as a feeling came over me, and it was one I knew. Pity. I pitied her, with her insecurities, her desperation to be beautiful for her husband. I didn't have to do it…_

_The blood caught up with me, turning to wet, spidery hands that clawed their way up my legs. Tears fell from my eyes, and my vision blurred._

I did not wake screaming. I never do.

I did, however, wake up after flailing quite suddenly and falling off the edge of my bed. The blankets tangled in my legs stopped me from getting up, so I lay there, listening for sounds of threats. Maybe even the soft breathing of my cat.

There was nothing.

I carefully disentangled myself, rising on shaky legs and fixing my bed back into place. All the while, my mind was in shambles, trying to catch up to what had happened to make me fall so mundanely. I'd been dreaming, one of many dreams that had always been pulled from memory, recounting the moments in time when I felt simultaneously accomplished and villainous. I remember those moments with perfect clarity, and I could say for a fact that the dream I had was not accurate.

I left Mika there after finishing my job, went home, ate dinner with my family, then went to sleep. Nowhere in that time frame had any blood turned black or acted in any sentient, gravity-defying way. I had to come to the conclusion that I had, in fact, had my very first nightmare.

My dreams had never turned sour before, and there were many like this. Nothing had ever made me feel any pity for my prey, only the satisfaction that I had disposed of a threat.

I pushed the dream -nightmare- from my mind, using the remainder of the morning to finish the last few chapters on Elemental Demons, by Kurama's recommendation of course. By the time I had reached the end of Notable Water Demon Species, I'd all but forgotten the night's terrors, and by the time I'd arrived at school, I was met with yet another dilemma, currently more pressing than some silly dreams.

"Botan, you must realize there is no record of a student even remotely like you. You will not blend in as well as you think." I had encountered her in the hallway, walking sedately behind a trudging Urameshi. Grumbling, he passed her off to me as 'your problem now'.

She tittered, a hand raised to her mouth delicately to hide her laughter. The pale, dusky blue of the uniform she wore did not clash as horribly as one might expect with the bright, sky blue of her hair, but she was sure to draw quite a bit of attention wandering between classes when she isn't even registered as a student.

"We already gave my false records to your school," she assured me. "I can walk around and no one will question me!"

"But you're in Urameshi's grade, correct?" She nodded with a smile and I frowned. "So do you intend to simply walk between classes to see to the both of us?"

She gave me a conspiratorial wink, pulling up to pass me as we made our way down the hall to my second class. Her smile clearly displayed, much to my chagrin, that she knew something I did not.

"They won't say a thing! Just watch!" I raised a brow, unimpressed as she breezed into my classroom with little more than an airy 'Hello' to our teacher. The adult blinked, opening his mouth to say something, then snapped his mouth shut with a look of confusion. Botan passed him, and he stared after her for a moment before shrugging and resuming his task of organizing our now graded exams.

I followed her, greeting my teacher the same way. He smiled and welcomed me, the strange blue-haired girl seemingly completely forgotten. I made my way to my desk, Botan standing directly behind it. She was in conversation with the boy who sat behind me (the only other person in the room, coincidentally), and seemed to be laughing at something. He was blushing, looking away while rubbing his neck.

"I would really appreciate it if I could sit here. You see Hotaru-Chan is my guide through the school so I'd like to stay as close to her as possible. I'm just so afraid I'll get lost!" She giggled, knocking on her head in a mock self-deprecating way.

"Y-yes, of course Miss! And if you ever need anything else, just ask!" Botan received his offer with another chortle, waving him away.

"Why thank you, you're ever so kind!" He laughed nervously, moving his bag to the back of the classroom where a few empty seats remained. Why she couldn't have taken one of those and avoid any unnecessary interaction with my classmates I can't say. She slipped into the chair behind my desk (without any schoolbag or books of her own to make the disguise more convincing) and smiled up at me cheerily.

"You see? I'm practically part of the class already!" I rolled my eyes, moving to my seat. "Isn't it just amazing how I was able to do that?" I glanced around, once again making sure no one was in earshot before responding in a low voice.

"I'm assuming there's some sort of field of spirit energy around you to make the transition easier for others, forcing them not to question things and just go along with it. Either the power of suggestion or a very basic mind control." My reply earned a pout from the woman, who crossed her arms sullenly.

"Oh, you're no fun! I can't get anything past you! Yusuke hasn't even figured out that no one's noticed me yet!" I sighed, shrugging my shoulders as I sat down, facing the front of the room.

"Urameshi doesn't bother to notice things like that, it's not essential to his role." I saw movement by the door and heard the chatter of teenage girls proceeding the entry of two more students. "We will not discuss this further."

Asako found her way to her own seat without much trouble, and without even glancing in Botan's direction. She bid me a cheerful good morning, to which I returned a polite smile. Hitomi followed closely behind, flashing me a calm, tired smile. Then, her eyes flicked to a point behind me.

Her smile dropped.

"Good morning!" Botan greeted cheerily. Asako offered a wave and a smile, then did quite a dramatic double take as she took in the stranger in our midst.

"Whoa!" Her eyes grew wide and she leaned away a touch, taking in all of Botan in a long look. "Who does your hair?"

I felt my eye twitch just slightly, tension easing from me at a shaky pace. I was relieved that Asako seemed unbothered by the new addition to the class, due in no small part to how and where she was raised. She was less polite, though that tended to work best in my favor, as she kept the ever perceptive Hitomi in check. I really could not be friends with either girl individually without the other to balance.

I missed Botan's jovial response, turning to my blue-eyed 'friend', who stared at me intently.

"Who is that?" Hitomi asked quietly.

It was pointless to lie, she would see them quite easily. Half truths would have to suffice.

"Her name is Botan. I am helping her to adjust to being a student here, though it's not something I will enjoy. I expect you will be interacting with her quite often if this exchange is anything to go by," I said, gesturing vaguely towards the two girls behind me. Asako's desk was directly beside Botan's, and Hitomi's was beside mine. It seemed our group of three had become four.

"Right." Hitomi levelled me with a deadpan look. "Don't new students usually have to introduce themselves?"

I shrugged.

"It's none of my business." Translation was, 'drop it.' She picked up on my meaning well enough, offering a hand to Botan with a suspicious smile.

I was thankful that the day passed without incident, Botan going relatively unnoticed by staff. The students were a little more difficult to handle, but she seemed to restrict herself to my small friend group, so the damage was minimal.

I might have forced her to fend for herself if she hadn't already brought me a bribe for the day, providing it just before we had entered my classroom. When my attention was not required, I turned my focus to the new book, a rather large tome entitled The Seven Deadly Sins: An Overview of Known Demon Culture.

I wondered if perhaps the sins themselves had corporeal demon forms, or if it was just a metaphor. Either way, any insight into their psychology was my advantage. Though, I doubted it would help me in the fight against Hiei. His goals seemed painfully one-dimensional. No further analysis was needed-

"Ah!"

I let out a sharp cry, dropping the book as my hands rose to my head. A sudden pain, sharp and brief, had stopped me in my thoughts. As quickly as it had come, it was gone, and not for the first time, I felt the eyes of the demon on me. Hiei was watching me.

Hiei was listening to my thoughts.

It was only speculation, a wild assumption. I myself have been accused of reading minds before, but this was another beast entirely. An insult to him had resulted in pain, and I was certain now that it was him who was watching me. It was not outside the realm of possibility that he could somehow have psychic powers rivaling my own. Mind reading could be among them.

"Hotaru-Chan!"

My head whipped around, eyes locking onto three other concerned gazes. Asako's brown eyes probed me cautiously, Hitomi's with apprehension. Only Botan looked like she had any clue what was going on. She gave me a questioning look, but I gave them a weak smile, manufacturing a nervous laugh.

"S-sorry, I think an insect bit me."

The girls relaxed to varying degrees Asako giggling madly.

"Wow, that's four times now! You must have tasty blood!" It took less effort to force my smile, especially at Botan's look of horror and Hitomi's admonishing gaze.

"Probably," I told her, settling down again. She was right. I'd felt the presence a total of four times in class the past few days, and nine times out of school. He was increasing his activity gradually, leading me to assume he would be striking soon. Urameshi had only reported that feeling once or twice since we had first ventured into his spirit awareness, so it was likely Hiei had been watching as well. I couldn't expect him to pick up on every instance quite yet though.

It wasn't that he was necessarily dense, but he wasn't always the most observant. Sometimes it benefited me, but other times his complacency was irritating. He always seemed so at ease, despite the fact that we were no longer exclusively hunters, now being stalked by our own prey. That thought alone could boil my blood.

"You know, I heard the mosquito population is higher than ever this year. That's strange, isn't it Hotaru-Chan? It's been so unseasonably cold." Hitomi directed her statements to me now that Asako had drawn Botan back into conversation, and I shrugged, picking up my book once more.

"Insects are weird," I told her. Despite being in the animal kingdom, I'd never been particularly close to them. I admit, I'd hoped they would take to me and not try to bite me, but it must be that their brains aren't capable of forming the bond.

"Yes," she responded with narrowed eyes. I opened my mouth, about to ask what was wrong, when I noticed she was frowning down at the book. "Julius Caesar, hm?"

I wondered what it was about the books that made people see what they see. Perhaps the spell around the cover draws suggestions from my mind. Caesar, like Titus Andronicus, was one I had enjoyed analyzing.

"Care to criticize my choice today?" I asked her, and to my surprise, she shook her head in the negative.

"No, this one isn't so bad. It's all political, see. Politics is a _backstabbing_ business." I gave a short bark of laughter, realizing she had elicited the genuine reaction from me without even trying. It seemed to surprise her as well, but I ignored her look of shock and turned my attention to the front of the class.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her smile.

* * *

Botan had left the moment school had let out, waving cheerily as she disappeared into the black-blue eddy in the afternoon sky. She'd promised to return, expressing her surprise that I 'would have such normal, lovely friends'. I simply shrugged her off, not bothering to point out that their normalcy was exactly what I needed.

Urameshi was in detention with Takenaka-Sensei, as no other teacher would suffer the punk another minute longer than absolutely necessary. It wasn't even detention so much as it was making up missed work, something he accumulated rather rapidly. We had decided to patrol together today in our search for Hiei, though I was quite tempted to go off alone and complete the required visit to Kurama first. There was no telling how long his work would take.

I passed the time in my own classroom with the Spirit World book, each delicate page keeping my attention through the milling about of other students finishing up work and leaving for their homes. It was quiet in the school aside from the odd teacher still shuffling about past the door. No one questioned my presence, despite it being unusual for me to stay so long. A perk of this particular school was the teachers consistent blase attitude. They were quite content to ignore things that wouldn't pose a threat to them or the school's reputation as a whole.

Which of course meant that the vicious rumors that once circulated about Kazuma and his boys were negligible.

Small, quiet footsteps sounded in the hallway. They paused for an extended moment before someone entered. The person's presence wasn't anything remarkable, and I assumed a student had perhaps forgotten something and was returning to retrieve it. As such, I didn't bother looking up until they were directly in front of me, giving no indication they would move any time soon.

"Kuwabara-Chan?"

I looked up in surprise as I recognized the voice. Light brown eyes looked down at me nervously from a pretty, pinched face. Not for the first time, I wondered how exactly such an attractive, clean-cut girl like Yukimura ever began associating with the less-than-reputable Urameshi. They seemed to have so little in common.

"Yukimura. Can I help you?" She seemed to hesitate, and I imagine I must have sounded rude. Her appearance here did surprise me, after all, and even I was not always ready to deploy my mask. I rushed to give her a reassuring smile. "Sorry, you startled me."

She let out a small, forced laugh, reaching up a hand to her shoulder, as though out of reflex, and dropping it shortly in an awkward motion.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I guess I should have knocked first, huh?" she asked with a teasing smile. I reciprocated.

"Not at all, it's a public domain. I should have been paying more attention." She laughed again, that false, high, quiet sound that girls often make when anxious. She raised her arms to cross them over her chest, then seemed to think better of it, leaving her hands to fidget with the folds of her pleated blue skirt.

"Right. Well, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," she began, and I had to give her credit for jumping right into her goal. So often people will linger awkwardly after such a brief, bumbling exchange. I was intrigued enough to set my book down, giving her my full attention.

"Of course. What was it you wanted to discuss?"

This time, her words took longer to come out. She half raised her arms before once more letting them fall, her face contorting almost painfully as she struggled to get to the heart of whatever was clearly bothering her.

"I- I saw the new girl with you today, the one with the blue hair?" I nodded once, my brain churning out the most believable fallacies to use, and she continued. "Well, she was with Yusuke earlier today, and they were talking about something, being so secretive about it. I thought, since you and Yusuke seem to be friends, and she was so friendly with you…" She trailed off, now looking uncertain of herself. I angled my head, frowning just slightly.

"Yes, that's Botan. Urameshi and I met her during one of our nights out… cleaning up." Yukimura raised a scolding brow, but otherwise said nothing. The girl knew exactly what I meant when I said 'cleaning up', and she was just as unhappy as the day she first found out. She didn't need words to express the motherly disappointment she was radiating.

"We didn't realize she was transferring to this school when we rescued her-" a lie, of course, but not completely unbelievable- "So when she found us again, she latched on immediately." I shrugged helplessly.

"She's our problem now, unfortunately." Yukimura seemed to understand, holding her chin with a thoughtful look.

"And she was telling Yusuke he needed to tell me something and not keep secrets… Do you happen to know what that was?" I blinked slowly, taking my turn at being the scolding maternal figure.

"You do realize you're asking me to potentially betray a secret that is not my own to disclose, don't you? Surely you don't have Urameshi on so tight a leash that he isn't allowed his privacy." She looked offended, and I couldn't tell if the look was entirely genuine or not. Teenage girls were the hardest to read, I found. If I was to choose one descriptor to apply to every girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen, it would be 'unpredictable'.

"I don't have him on a leash," she seethed, and though my face remained carefully blank, I was taken aback by the venom in her voice. "But she was saying he needed to tell me soon or things would get complicated! And she knew about lots of other things, and they were so close, like friends! I'm just worried that-" She cut herself off, snapping her mouth shut, with a glare as she calmed down. She looked at the desk, skirt now wrinkled from her fidgeting.

I analyzed her posture, hunched shoulders, head low to hide the blush dusting her cheeks. Red-faced from anger perhaps. Or maybe blushing from…

And that was when it clicked into place.

I found, to my surprise, I was disappointed. I'd believed that their relationship was one I would never understand for all its complexities and seemingly impossible results. But now I could see it plain as day, the blush spelling it out for me perfectly.

She was almost the cookie-cutter good girl on the surface, and superficially, Urameshi was the cardboard cutout bad boy. It was all too common for the opposites to attract in that way, the safe and sheltered seeking the darkness and adventure the other side shows them. Tale as old as time, as they say. In any case, it severely lowered my opinion of her. Not that I let that show, naturally.

"You're worried that he will prefer spending time with her. That is to say, you're worried he is attracted to her." I suppose I could have phrased it more delicately, as her blush only intensified. All anger drained from her in an instant, and I knew I was right.

"I-I mean, it's not like he's not allowed to talk to other girls! We're not even dating anyways, I don't care!" I gave her a deadpan look.

"Obviously." She looked frustrated, and it seemed she was only going to escalate her anger from there, so I continued. "In any case, you have nothing to worry about."

She stopped, looking back at me with wide eyes. I sighed, internally rubbing my face.

"What… do you mean?" She sounded all too nonchalant, like she didn't dare to even hope that his interest wouldn't stray from herself. I cleared my throat, sitting up a little straighter in my seat.

"Botan, Urameshi and I are… I would not say friends, more along the lines of coworkers. We are a team of sorts that completes specific job types for a much larger organization. Botan recruited the two of us to work for her boss. I can assure you, their relationship, while good, is strictly professional."

Yukimura nodded slowly in understanding, then a look of fear crossed her face.

"Is… is it a Yakuza thing?" she whispered with evident fright in her voice. "I know Atsuko has had a pretty questionable history with them but… I never imagined Yusuke, or even you would ever be…"

I debated what to tell her, and I'll admit, falsely implying any sort of connection to the mob would be endlessly entertaining. However, I also felt something like that might ruin whatever relationship Yus-Urameshi had with her. He was quite attached to her, and she to him. Despite how superficial it all seemed, I'd been proven wrong before by the boy.

"No, what we do is perfectly legal," I assured her, and the relief that swept her features clean was palpable, the room suddenly losing a tension I didn't realize was there. "I'm afraid I can't go into much more detail. It is up to Urameshi to decide how much to tell you. However, you can rest assured that he only has eyes for you."

Her blush returned in full force, hands wringing as she looked away from me once more to focus on the desk.

"That's…" she paused, then breathed out as if to clear her thoughts. Then, she looked back up with a shy smile. "Thank you. I think I just needed to hear that he was okay."

I blinked, my reaction coming out before I could stop it.

"You were worried… for his safety?" She nodded.

"Mostly. I was a little worried he would be getting attached to another girl and then give up on school and his future entirely. And… I was also afraid he might abandon me." She laughed, a sad sound, and leaned against the chair behind her.

"We've known each other for so long. I've always been there for him, and he's always been there for me. I thought… I thought that girl, Botan, might hurt his chances at life. He's already gotten a second one, so we don't want to waste it, right?" She smiled at me, and the look was entirely genuine. I hummed in agreement, once more reflecting on the nature of their relationship. Maybe, just maybe, Yukimura wasn't so superficial after all.

And that, of course, is why teenage girls are unpredictable.

"Urameshi is lucky to have you," I told her, and she looked slightly startled. "You care for him far more than anyone else, and more than he may deserve. He certainly likes to complain about you, but," I held up a finger as her face began to screw up in indignance. "There's always that smile behind his words. He cares for you too. Botan could never change that, or take your place."

She's too irritating for that.

After a moment, Yukimura's face cleared and she beamed.

"Thank you, Kuwabara-Chan." I gave her a smile.

"Hotaru is fine." She giggled.

"Alright, Hotaru-Chan. If you don't think it's too personal." She smiled sweetly, but the kind of subtle sweetness that was both disarming and calming. True kindness was hard to come by, and even harder to find in volatile middle-schoolers. Which reminded me…

"Yukimura," I began, just as she had stood, presumably to leave. She looked at me curiously, willing to indulge whatever question I had. "I'm curious… why exactly did you consider Botan a threat, and not myself? Not that I have any interest in Urameshi beyond our working relationship, but I do spend a substantial amount of time with him."

She seemed to consider my question carefully, her brow furrowing as she searched for the answer in the back of her brain.

"Well, I think it has to do with the suddenness of it all," she explained. "You could see Yusuke as a ghost, so it's not too weird that you're friends now. But then Botan shows up today out of the blue, I mean literally the blue," a jab at her hair, I'm assuming. "Not to mention she's so pretty and exotic, and talking with Yusuke the way she was just-" Then she stopped, mouth agape, looking utterly horrified. I blinked, casting my senses about to feel for any change in the air.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry! I don't mean to imply you aren't pretty too!" She stumbled over her words, and I had to fight off a real smile at the amusement her sense of propriety brought me.

"It's fine, I didn't even make the connection," I told her honestly. "I'm quite aware I'm not as well-endowed as others, notably Botan and yourself." This time, the redness reached her ears and was slowly creeping toward her collar. She stuttered out something, but I was enjoying her embarrassment and didn't catch it.

"Still," she said when she had finally regained her composure. "I don't mean to say you're not pretty. I'm just… I don't think you would hurt Yusuke like that. You two are too much alike."

Now it was my turn to be confused and horrified. I'm unsure what I had done to give her the impression I was anything like Urameshi, but I was going to have to re-evaluate my perception of her intelligence if this was the conclusion she came to.

"Explain,"I demanded, forgoing all formalities. Despite this, she giggled.

"Like that. See, you're not really the way people think you are." Surely not… "You're smart, and kind, but you also love to brawl, just like Yusuke." Oh, that's where she's going with this… I will allow it, so long as her false conjectures can assist in maintaining whatever image she crafted of us for herself. "The way you are with your brother and his friends, it just seems like you really care, and you want to do the right thing. Yusuke is the same way. I think the two of you just connect in a way I can't, and... that's okay. I think it's great that he's finally making more friends! I guess what I mean is, you two are really good for each other."

My head listed to the side as I considered her words. It was odd for someone like her to think of someone like me as… a good thing. Even for Urameshi, I imagined I would be considered anything but good. Then again, she only knows me as the front I put up. She would be susceptible to the hearsay.

"Maybe with you around, he'll finally start doing his own work," she added with a conspiratorial smile. I gathered I was supposed to agree, and gave her an equally devious smirk back.

"I'll be sure to press the issue." She giggled, taking a half-step back and smiling.

"Thank you for talking with me, Hotaru-Chan. I appreciate it." She gave a small bow, her hair obscuring her face for a moment before she turned that blinding, saccharine smile back to me. I looked kindly at her in return, dipping my head in a return gesture.

"It's no trouble, I'd be happy to ease your fears again should they arise." The tiniest of shivers ran down my spine at that statement, and I suddenly wished I could retract it. Her smile split into a full-on grin as she bid me a good evening, leaving the room before I could respond. Not that I would have, I was far too busy in my own head.

It was highly improbable associating with me would make Urameshi more studious. If anything, our rendezvous would only distract him more from his work.

He would not even pick up those books essential to our work, I thought to myself as I thumbed through the pages of the Spirit World tome.

That she could see through me enough to know I wasn't exactly what I pretended to be would normally be alarming, but her comparison of me to Urameshi assuaged my growing apprehensions. Still, if she were to get involved in this somehow, she might easily learn to understand what I am. While she isn't necessarily a threat, I don't want to be reliant on Yus-Urameshi's connection with her to ensure she won't go blabbing about what we do. What _I_ do.

… Though, she was studious, and determined to help Urameshi succeed. Bringing her into the fold could significantly reduce the amount of research I would need to do. Splitting the difference would be beneficial. Of course, she would have to be able to read the books. I didn't bother to ask if the enchantment was a byproduct of them belonging in Spirit World, or if it was placed on them before they are exposed to the human world.

Her intelligence was not to be underestimated. I've no doubt she'll find out about our detective work eventually. When she does, it's likely she would then come to me for advice, based on how this most recent conversation went. I'd established myself as someone trustworthy, someone who will give my time freely. She will most probably use that to her advantage.

I sighed, placing my book down once more.

This was becoming more problematic the more I thought about it. I certainly did not need Yukimura added to my already too-large friend group. Urameshi was a tolerable exception (more than tolerable, I suppose), and Botan was pushing my limits. To add in Yukimura only spreads my range of protection further, my power thinning the more people I would be forced to include.

She was, to my knowledge, all that Urameshi had, aside from his alcoholic mother laid up jobless in her apartment. That he had only two people he shielded was acceptable, preferable even to my number, which was slowly rising every new interaction.

Hitomi and Asako, obviously, were essential mechanisms of my disguise. They needed to remain in tact. Shizuru also, simply for the family aesthetic. Botan, for her usefulness, was ranked slightly higher than the others, earning a greater degree of protection. Koori-Sensei, for more personal reasons, ranked just above the blue-haired girl.

Next was of course Urameshi, and above them all, Kazuma reigned the priority.

My pitiful brother, waking in the night every time a spirit so much as raised their voice. He had even taken to knocking on my door in the middle of the night, blanket and pillow in hand as he requested shelter by my bed. The idiot. If I could eliminate the spirits, I would do so. Gladly. Wiping them from the face of existance seemed like a power I would readily accept from Spirit World.

Kazuma, at the very least, could defend himself. As could Urameshi, and Botan was a Spirit. Her range of abilities and immunities were still a mystery to me. But Yukimura was vulnerable, and in her vulnerability, she was a weakness for any who cared for her.

She could not fight back. She could not protect herself from the dangers of the supernatural world, where Urameshi and I now tread without a thought. It was a wonder nothing had happened-

My gut clenched.

"_Kuso_!" I swore, jumping out of my seat. I was out the door within seconds, my feet pounding as I flew down the hallway at a speed that alarmed even myself. My school bag and book sat abandoned in the classroom, but they were unimportant now…

I stopped, almost tripping as my momentum caught up with my body. My chest heaved and my wide eyes flickered frantically as I reached the intersection of the hallway.

Urameshi was to the right, but he was on the other side of the school in Takenaka-Sensei's office. I could run there to alert him, but it would take too much time. So, with barely a moment of consideration, I darted to the left.

My ears were full of the sound of the Rush, blocking out every other noise with the steadily quickening rate of my heart. My blood burned, muscles tight, eyes stinging from the air as I ran. I reached the courtyard, then the gate, in record time.

Yukimura's house was which way? Same direction as Urameshi's. Left again.

As I raced down the sidewalk, I couldn't help but punish myself over and over, my mind refusing to let me move past the fact that I hadn't anticipated this. Because of course she was vulnerable. _Of course_ she would be Yusuke's greatest weakness. If I wanted something someone else had, and killing them wasn't an option, the next best thing was a trade.

Rather, a hostage.

She hadn't gone far, maybe two blocks in her sedated pace, but it felt much longer with the incessant pounding in my head, that nagging feeling that I'd made a terrible mistake. I was lucky enough to catch sight of the dull blue uniform disappearing around a corner.

I pushed myself harder, my feet slapping the ground and hardly touching it at the same time. Rounding the bend, I quickly gave the new scene a once over.

There was Yukimura, steps away from the demon, who stood there in the open, not even attempting to conceal himself. His eyes were focused on her, a frown barely concealing his look of glee. There was little time, and few options. His hand was already gripping the hilt of a sword, half drawn. How did this idiot girl not see it!?

"_YUKIMURA!_"

She didn't even have time to turn around. The demon lunged, but my voice broke his focus for a moment. Garnet eyes flashed angrily to me as I bore down on them both. I dove, tackling the girl to the ground just as the blade whistled straight over where her head had been. Had I been wrong? Was taking a hostage not his intent, but to kill her?

No time to wonder. I flipped myself off the groaning girl onto my back, springing to my feet with eyes locked on the threat. He stood with his back almost facing us, but he was turning around with a fierce snarl on his lips. I heard Yukimura pushing herself up behind me with a slight gasp of pain. I had damaged her in my haste, but she was alive. Yusuke would forgive me.

"Ow… what- Hotaru-Chan?" I felt her eyes on me, first in anger, then in shock as she likely beheld the man with the sword not five paces away. She let out a strangled noise of fear, scuttling backwards. My gaze never left the demon as I spoke.

"Yukimura, get out of here, now." My voice left no room for argument, and though she hesitated, she did as she was told. Hiei's eyes flashed briefly in her direction as she stood. I was thankful for her cooperation, as well as the fact she had the wherewithal not to ask questions.

"I-I'll get help!" I listened to her footsteps as they grew more distant. I could practically feel her blood as adrenaline rushed through it in her body's response to danger.

Hiei growled, taking a step forward as if to give chase, but I countered him, stepping to the side to block his path and canting my body to the side.

"Your fight is with me now, Hiei."

With a last glare over my shoulder, he turned his smouldering gaze to me. I noted the slightest change in position of his sword-arm, the tension signaling his attack plan. It was relatively simplistic, but considering how he was holding the rather large, bulky sword with just one hand, his strength was not to be underestimated.

"Kuwabara Hotaru," he returned with a smug sneer. "You're a fool, offering yourself to me in place of the girl. All you've accomplished is bringing your own death upon you sooner." I blinked, unimpressed.

"So then I assume you meant to use Yukimura as leverage against Urameshi and myself." I was acutely aware of his feet shifting under his tattered black cloak, the subtle movement drawing my eyes for a split second. It was enough, and he lunged, swiping at me with the sword.

It was a predictable enough movement, one I easily dodged by jumping away while my fingers worked to loosen the knot of my yellow scarf. His eyes gleamed cruelly as he advanced, once again slashing at my stomach, this time going up. I moved back once again, watching his triumphant smile widen as he perceived my retreat as a sign of weakness.

"Your assumption is correct. But now I'll only have to deal with one of you when that time comes. It was very stupid of you to face me alone, without your partner's spirit energy to protect you." He laughed then, standing upright. "Even as pathetic as it was."

My collar was loose enough now, and he struck just then, thrusting the sword at my gut. I side-stepped so that he and I were now facing each other, ripping the scarf from my neck deftly. His eyes followed me, wide with surprise, as I used the small weight at one end of the yellow fabric to loop it very precisely around his wrist. I grabbed the weighted end and twisted the scarf, effectively trapping his arm and the sword there.

With one hand I held the two ends as I turned in a quick, fluid motion, putting my back to him for a split second. I turned my head as my other elbow came up, then down as it collided with a satisfying crack with his cheek. I jerked the scarf, throwing him further off balance then spun away.

He caught himself well enough, using that momentum to roll to one knee. His shocked expression morphed into one of rage, then just as quickly, he was smirking again, despite holding his cheek.

"Well well, looks like Koenma found someone with some skill after all. Too bad you don't have the spirit energy to back it up!" He was up again in an instant, and I reflected on the amount of force I had used to strike him. I had not been holding anything back, and that worried me. It was enough to hurt him, but not to cause substantial harm. I found it odd, but considering his mention of energy, I gleaned that for any attack to have a lasting effect, it would need spirit power.

With that in mind, I attacked, rushing him in the small space between us and lashing out with my hands held as claws. The raw violet energy bleeding out in long blades slashed open the front of his cloak and shirt, exposing an olive-toned stomach. It was all I managed before he took my role of jumping back out of the way.

He snarled, his arm snaking around and the blade carving a steady path in the air towards my head. I blocked it, my other arm bathed in the light which caught the silvery blade, sparks flying from the contact. It was a guess, but it turned out to be a good one. Worst case scenario, I would have lost my left arm, a consequence I could live with.

Now at a stand-still, I brought my arm back before thrusting it towards his chest, my hand forming a single pointed spike. Just then, he seemed to fade from existence, and I stumbled as the weight I'd placed on holding back the sword gave way to my body. I righted myself, only to duck in a roll once again as I felt a presence behind me.

Could he teleport? That might have been nice to know beforehand.

I jumped to my feet, spinning to face him. His pompous grin had faded slightly, now giving way to irritation.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" he asked, though this lacked the mocking tone from earlier. We stood there, simply watching each other. I calculated my chances of success, and plotted my next move. If he was either too fast, or could teleport, all I could do was wait for him to slip up, or perhaps trap him again. My scarf was in tatters, my energy having shredded it the moment I used it. Not that it would have worked again anyways, he would have seen that.

My pen was still in my pocket, the booklet with it, but to spell out runes on either him or myself would take too much time. Perhaps a strength rune, but I didn't want to risk him stealing the tool.

So I watched him, and he watched me. Both of us were breathing rapidly, not quite heavily yet. He had yet to land a blow on me, but somehow, I doubted that would last. At the very least, sparring with Urameshi had taught me how to take a hit, something I was surprised to find was incredibly difficult for me.

"I think it's interesting that Spirit World would send someone like you," He said, startling me out of my analysis. I tilted my head curiously, but otherwise kept a blank face. "A mere child, and they hoped you could stop a demon of my ability. They are fool's. Or perhaps they know something I do not."

His pointed accusation was somewhat a question, demanding that I reveal whatever secret he thought I might be hiding. I remained silent, staring into his eyes with a cool, collected calm. He looked back, and I could see frustration brewing there.

"You were not this strong before," he finally said decisively. "Am I to assume Urameshi Yusuke has undergone a similar transformation?" Still, I did not answer, shifting my weight in preparation to attack once again. His eyes narrowed angrily.

"You're awfully quiet for a Spirit World lackey. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" I raised a brow at his taunt, angling my head to the other side.

"I try not to make a habit of trading banter with the mentally handicapped," I responded. "I'm afraid I don't have the patience for them."

My barb seemed to achieve the intended result, and his eyes lit up furiously. He tensed, telegraphing his plan of attack long before he made a move.

"You insolent brat!" He lunged, and I side-stepped once again. I pressed against him and shoved my elbow under his, trying to strip the sword from his hands. His grip was strong, however, and I realized my position too late as he reared back and threw his weight forward, our heads colliding with a loud crack.

I stumbled away, listening for any sign of him coming closer while I shook the stars from my vision. I barely detected the soft pitter of cloth shoes on the pavement, throwing myself forward in a roll to dodge the impending attack. Just as quickly, I turned while still crouched and propelled myself towards him.

My elbow caught his open and exposed chest, and I didn't stop there, learning from my last mistake. I threw my knee up to hit the same spot, both strikes knocking him back. Just as I was rearing for another kick, he phased away, reappearing just a few paces further away. However, he had never faded completely from my sight, his body becoming little more than a translucent blur. So then it was speed, not matter displacement. That was certainly a good sign.

"I will enjoy the look on your detectives face when I present him with both your head _and_ his precious Keiko's," he spat. I hummed in thought, tilting my head in a mocking way.

"Unlikely." I ran toward him, brandishing both arms as makeshift swords of my own. He blocked where he could, now using both hands to grasp the hilt. I pushed him back with my attacks, but never once did I land a blow.

His elbow caught my chin and I grunted, spinning away. Blood filled my mouth from a new hole in my tongue and I spat it out onto the pavement, now feeling a glare settle onto my face. This was supposed to be over by now; why did he insist on living?

"Enough games," he snarled, holding up the sword to point it in my direction menacingly.

"My thoughts exactly," I fired back, before he could get out the rest of what he wanted to say. He growled, and I lowered into a fighting crouch, ready to deflect his blow when-

"Hotaru-Chan!"

No… Surely she wasn't that stupid… My eyes widened, Hiei's grin telling me all I needed to know. I heard rushed footsteps behind me, turning foolishly to look back at Yukimura. Stomping just on her heels was a teacher, whose eyes burned determinedly.

"Hey you," he shouted at Hiei, who only smirked. "You leave that girl alone! I've called the police!"

Hiei chuckled, and I couldn't blame him. The idea of normal human police coming to combat this demon threat was indeed laughable.

"You foolish girl," he grinned straight at Yukimura. "You should have done as you were told."

He reached up with his free hand, tugging his white bandanna loose and discarding it. The wind caught the fabric and swept it out of sight, dancing with the leaves that now were frightened from their trees.

At first his forehead seemed bare, but a split second later, the smooth skin began to part. Like a gaping maw, the two sides opened wider and wider to expose an eye. I remembered I had felt something looking at me when we first met, and it must have been this unnatural looking thing. It looked almost painted on from this angle, but the closer I looked, the more it seemed to take on a more defined shape, as though shifting from two-dimensional to three. The white sclera stood out against his darker skin tone, and the iris took an oblong shape, the color a murky violet.

I could only stand and watch as the white area turned red, almost glowing.

The teacher had gasped when the eye opened, and Yukimura curled in on herself fearfully. Now, they both fell to their knees with startled cries of pain. I felt the presence of the eye, but it was not enough for me to bend to its will. The two normal humans, however, had no such advantage.

Hiei laughed again, turning his eyes- all three of them, to me.

"It's not effective against those very few humans who can use their energy. But against those weaklings without, it's quite a useful tool. It's my-"

"Jagan," I butted in, and he looked… somewhere on the more impressed side of derisive.

"Very good," he praised sarcastically. "I didn't know Spirit World was educating their dogs these days. Unless of course I have Kurama to blame for this."

"No. I educated myself." Perhaps it was some obscure inner pride, or a deep-rooted dislike of Spirit World, but I loathed the idea of giving them any credit, no matter how small, for my own initiatives. As for Kurama, I didn't want to lose the useful demon so early on in our friendship. it wasn't a terrible lie in any case. I had been the one to do my own research on demonic powers and abilities, even if it was at Kurama's suggestion.

"How nice for you," he simpered. Then his gaze darted to the side, his head jerking to the right. I just had time to jump out of the way as the teacher threw his weight at me. I turned, feeling absolute outrage filling me as the man stumbled to a stand.

My anger left me, however, as I noted the red gleam in his eye, the slight discoloration of his skin, looking greyer in tone than before. His eyes were empty, searching me out sluggishly as he groaned in frustration. They found me again and lunged. I stepped back, closer to Hiei, but in his hubris, he made no move to strike while my back was turned.

"Since you know about the Jagan, I'm sure you're aware of its ability to control the most basic of humans." I could feel his self-satisfied grin from here. "They're nothing too terribly strong, but I find they make for a perfect diversion.

_Yukimura_.

I darted to the side, spinning around the possessed man to reach the girl, who stood there mindlessly, her own eyes and skin showing the same subtle tinges of abnormal coloration. Hiei was halfway there, and he turned with a vicious smirk, swiping out at me with the sword. I blocked, letting the blade slide harmlessly against my spirit energy and threw a punch.

He jumped back with a laugh, propelling himself over me in an impressive display of acrobatics, flipping lightly through the air as though suspended by strings. My head followed him, my mouth open in a small 'o' of surprise. He landed without so much as a thud, the motion continuing to be smooth and graceful even at completion. I turned rapidly to face him again, my right hand enveloped in power.

"Not so fast," he called as I ran towards him. He stepped behind the teacher, lifting the sword to point threateningly at the mans throat. Despite his stature, he still managed to hold himself in such a way that made him almost tower over the taller man.

"Don't come any closer! Give up now, or I'll kill him! I doubt you really want that on your cons-"

He cut off abruptly with a gasp as my blade ripped through the man's mid-section, continuing to go through the body towards my target. By the time my hand had breached the other side of the brown jacket, Hiei had gone, materializing only feet away, crouched onto one knee with a look of pure astonishment on his face. A hand was pressed to his side, telling me I had made some contact.

I ripped my arm free of the body, which fell with a shrill cry of agony, and threw myself at Hiei. He only just raised his sword in time to block both my arms. I stood there, pressing down with all my strength, and he pushed back up. His arms shook, and so did my legs. The fight had lasted longer than either of us anticipated.

"What the _hell_ are you doing!?" he snarled, and my blank face felt just a little tighter around my lips. A smile or a frown, I was unsure. "You- you just killed that man! Why?_ How!?_"

"Collateral damage," I informed him matter-of-factly, and said little more. His expression was unreadable, even for me, showing something resembling curiosity and revilement, but with a healthy portion of bewilderment.

He gave way to my force, twisting out from under me to let me fall past him. I felt the hilt of the sword slam down onto my head, but I rolled with the momentum despite the pain. I whipped around, staggering as I went. My vision was spinning, but I made sure to keep Hiei in my line of sight.

"Unbelievable," Hiei growled, and I could tell from his voice he was definitely done playing around. "Spirit World has finally learned how to fight monsters with monsters. It certainly took them long enough. And to think, I almost went after your brother. What a pitiful hostage he would have made."

My vision didn't clear, and my head didn't stop pounding, but somehow that didn't matter, because my mind focused immediately on his last few words with almost painful acuity. The way his voice carried that hint of disdain implied he felt I would have simply cut through Kazuma as I had the nameless teacher bleeding out on the ground.

I could agree, and let him believe that, but if he did end up pursuing my brother simply for his own satisfaction…

"You are very, very fortunate that you did not," I told him slowly, standing to my full, rather underwhelming height. I couldn't have had more than an inch over him, but I certainly felt large at that moment. Hiei looked startled, then a creeping smile settled over his face.

"Now that's an interesting look," he cackled. "Maybe he's not so much collateral dam-"

"Before you go getting any imbecilic ideas, understand this," I snapped, interrupting the demon. His wide eyes regarded me with an inscrutable look. "I have killed people for far less… egregious transgressions against him. You should be aware of that."

His eyes scanned me, garnet orbs thoughtful. Then, his look turned to the darker, more malicious side of mischievous. A grin split open his face and his sword arm fell to his side, confusingly inactive.

"Why don't we see then!" His free hand rose, and I felt my eyes grow large, but that was all the reaction I had time for. The vast plain of my mind was suddenly assaulted by a storm, powerful and ominous. The pressure built, and I could see the whiteness of my inner thoughts being overcome by a mass of crimson and murky violet.

_I might have screamed at the indescribable pain the intrusion caused, curling around every nerve ending like barbed wire coils. I was too far within myself to acknowledge my own body as my mind tried and failed to fight off the oncoming wave of volcanic power. The heat washed over me, scalding every corner of every neuron in my brain with deadly precision. I felt the energy combating my own, and I tried to shift my focus, trying to call on my energy. The roar of flames silenced me, erecting a blazing wall between my subconscious and the purple light of safety. I was well and truly alone now._

_Except for Hiei, whose form took up residence at the eye of the firestorm. He looked down at my helpless body as I writhed in the fires. Each flame I could feel pulling at something from my mind, and very soon, I knew exactly what it was._

_In the inferno, there were images. Half-formed memories of times long past, but never forgotten, licking at the white surface of my psyche and charring it to black._

_Mika, tumbling haphazardly down the stairs before stopping dead, a trail of crimson liquid marking where she's hit her head. Her red dress saturated with blood, her hair soaked and sticky, leg twisted at an awkward angle as I smashed the end of the baton onto her heel._

_The slim, rat-like face of a teacher with enormous buck teeth, barely recognizable as my fists, adorned with elegant brass knuckles, pummeled every inch of him I could reach. Bones snapped like toothpicks, skin tore easily as tissue paper, fingers dangled uselessly, bent in unnatural ways._

_A man dressed in the uniform of the local precinct screamed as I drove metal spikes into his hands, thrashing, but unable to shake me off. In a silly satanic circle he lay, the perfect disguise for a vengeful deed. The last spike opened his throat, and he stopped making noises._

_A man in a dark alley holding a cat, a comforting smile on his face._

_I followed the man. He turned on me._

_Luzt-glazed brown eyes…_

_I cried, and begged. He laughed._

_I stopped crying and begging. He stopped laughing. He started screaming._

_Boxed his ears, kicked his groin. The knife-_

_His blood pooled around him, on my hands, painting them the color of both life and death._

_The cat came back. The night ran red, the scene fading to a bloody hue…_

_It wasn't red. It was pink._

_Hiei let out a startled cry as the wall of flames was cut, a light the color of cherry blossoms devouring the fire, spreading outwards like a stain. A figure stood at the center of it all, the Rose Light seeming like an extension of her body as it matched seamlessly with her sakura-pink skin, bleeding into the air like discoloration might spread in stagnant water. Wild red hair billowed around her form like a lions mane, the color of coagulated blood. Eyes, void of any color or depth, stared blankly from the depths._

_Her mouth opened._

_**"DIABHAL! TÉIGH AMACH!"**_

_Hiei's powerful presence, utterly dwarfed by hers, retreated with haste, dragging me along with it. The woman became more distant until she was gone, like she'd never existed. My mind was white again, the walls like they'd never seen dark flames, the memories banished-_

I gasped, as though coming up for air after the deepest dive of my life. My body was prone, laying on its side with my face against the concrete. I could hardly see two feet in front of my face with the way my eyes were out of focus. I could see a distinctly black mass moving, and hear labored breathing to accompany my own.

Hiei is alive, and awake. He is vulnerable. I should strike now.

I should, but thinking it and getting my limbs to cooperate are two very different beasts.

I could do little else but focus on my breathing, trying not to hyperventilate as my rapid heartbeat was encouraging me to do. I took deep, long breaths, not yet ready to unpack the contents of what exactly had just occurred. The experience was surreal, almost too extreme to have been true, yet I knew my mind wasn't capable of creating something so fantastical. Hiei was just as surprised as I was. That only left one conclusion, and it was not one I particularly enjoyed.

I tried, and failed, to push myself to my knees, settling for rolling onto my back. I regretted this immediately, as now my vision was exclusively shapeless blue. I could still hear Hiei's staggering movements, his ragged breaths bringing me some satisfaction. Some, but not very much.

I felt myself fading, the sky growing darker as my eyelids threatened to abandon the waking world. A dark shadow crossed my vision, looking down at me from over my head. I closed my eyes then, waiting on the sword to fall. But closing my eyes was the final straw, and my brain gave out.

I was plunged into darkness, without even the strength to form a final thought.

* * *

**That was fun, and I didn't have to edit it too heavily my third time around. I'm satisfied with how this chapter came out, and I hope you all are as well. Things finally picked back up, the plot is moving forward, and we get our first glimpse at this mysterious Yaksha. I am very excited to continue editing the next few chapters coming up. They involve one of my favorite arcs, after all! **

**Please review if you liked it, and I will see you all next week! Meow for now!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Let me just say beforehand, I regret nothing. I regret _absolutely nothing_ I have done below, and I enjoyed every second of it. In fact, this was very fun, and I'm proud of it.**

***Evil smirk* Enjoy the "sho". **

* * *

_I've lived a lot of different lives.  
Been different people many times.  
I live my life in bitterness,  
and fill my heart with emptiness._

_And now I see, I see it for the first time.  
There is no crime, in being kind.  
Not everyone is out to screw you over.  
Maybe, oh, just maybe, they just wanna get to know you._

_\- Fear and Loathing - Marina Diamandis_

**Autonomy**

The human child sat in a corner, her small body propped up against the wall with her head lolling to the front. Her appalling uniform shirt was loose at the collar, missing the yellow scarf she had so brilliantly used as a weapon.

Hiei crouched in the shadow of a crate, elbows resting on his knees, sword laid across his thighs. He watched the girl as she slept, counting the shallow breaths she took.

Slept was perhaps the wrong word. She'd passed out from the strain. Hiei was surprised she had withstood the assault on her mind so well, even managing to be awake for a short time after they came back to their bodies. He hadn't been gentle when forcing her memories to come to light, and it was evident he had scarred her psyche by the pain he felt from her. Of course, he doubted it would make much of a difference, seeing as her mind was already a mess of scars.

The first time he'd seen her, he knew there was something… off about her eyes. They were too deep and empty for a child her age. A human child, at any rate. Blue stones set into her face, jagged and hard, the color of ice. It was an offensive, unforgiving color, one that did not belong in the face of someone so safe and sheltered.

She hadn't been afraid. He could feel nothing from her, like she was a walking void. She almost drowned out Urameshi's presence with her emptiness. Yet, as she looked at them all, passively taunted them, there was an underlying excitement. Now, he knew for sure those eyes belonged to her.

The imagery he had found, the contents of her memories, it was enough to send chills down his spine, and he'd been murdering all his life. Yet there was something about the dispassionate way she did it, despite such an altruistic reason, that unnerved him. He was certain those with honorable goals would act in accordance. That was what experience with these hero-types taught him.

He'd never met a hero before who wasn't afraid of the monster within. Too self-righteous they always were, too wrapped up in their higher purpose and morality to actually do what needed to be done by any means necessary.

_What she will do is try to stop us._

Not if he could convince her otherwise.

Perhaps she had been a bit excessive. To him, those people were nothing. To her, they were humans, like her, no more weak or powerful. They were equal in their worthlessness, or so he would normally think. But this child was anything but worthless. A human, yes. Beneath him, also yes. But she was something he had never encountered before, in neither demons nor humans.

Honest.

_She is false!_

Of course, as he had been observing them both, he had seen her tell countless lies, and act a part that was not truly her own. Neither of them were typical humans, or even typical children, but she certainly took the cake. The boy still thought he was doing the right things. But she understood.

There is no right or wrong answer, only answers, unaffiliated. There were no selfish desires in her mind, no contradicting ideals of should and should not, want and want not. She did not lie to herself like the others did, humans and demons alike. She knew what she was. She didn't make excuses for it, didn't try to rationalize her actions. They simply were. A mind like that would be a terrible thing to waste, even if her body would make for an excellent drone in his army.

Besides, he was too curious, somewhat about her, but mostly about that wretched banshee of a woman living in her head. That being, neither demon nor human, that had cast him out with no more than her pure willpower.

_They are poison. They are not natural._

That woman frightened Hiei, more than he had known was possible. It was a pureness of emotion, unclouded by extraneous thoughts, allowed to be as intense and focused as she wanted it to be. He had felt her power, the pink aura that spread from her skin, oozing out like pheromones. They drew him in as easily as they had banished him.

He couldn't kill her. Not the child, and not the woman. The girl was too useful to him, and the wench far too powerful.

He'd seen inside the child's mind more than just her dearest, bloodiest memories. He'd seen her heart, feeble as it was, and who it belonged to. That brother of hers. He could understand that, maybe even respect it.

_What's to respect? They're humans, filthy, pathetic little deceivers!_

She wasn't. She was different, and he could use that to his advantage. She placed so little value on feelings, and even less on life. It was all but meaningless to her, as it should be. She thought clearly, unhindered, save for one. That was acceptable.

_It is weakness! Weakness must be purged!_

One weakness, if kept carefully concealed, was admissible. He too had his very own weakness, one he needed to find before it was too late.

_Your weakness must be purged. You know it is true._

Hiei closed his eyes, bowing his head with a grimace of pain, though he was uninjured. He tried in vain to block out the voice. Was it his own, or the sword's? Who knew anymore? Certainly not the demon.

When the sword first spoke to him, and to him alone, it drew him away from the item he had truly sought, the Forlorn Hope. Such great power it had promised him, to create his own army, loyal only to him. An army that none could surpass. An army worthy of protecting Yukina when he could not. And to create this army, he would only be obliterating all humans. It was the perfect ending.

But he couldn't do it alone. Gouki was weak, dying at the hands of two human children, and Kurama… the traitor, was too blinded by his love for a human. He was just as pathetic as the creature that spawned him. Such a great and powerful demon, reduced to a groveling mother's son.

This girl, Kuwabara Hotaru, did not love her brother. For all he had seen of what she did, the acts she carried out in his name, for his sake, she held no love for him. No, he was only a pretext to her, a means to an end. He gave her a reason to be herself, to kill to her heart's content. He was a logical choice, being a fighter and engaging in more conflict than he could handle. It was so easy for her to latch onto him as her reason to live. She was, after all, just a child. Despite her honesty, she lived in a world with rules. Rules she could not break for fear of retaliation. Rather, rules she would not break… without reason.

And he was her reason.

Oh yes, Hiei hadn't stopped at just her violent memories. He'd tread more carefully as not to alert the woman within, sifting as gently as he could through her mind. It was a fascinating place. He could get lost there for hours reliving and experiencing her horrors. She would provide endless entertainment, of that he was sure.

Hiei smirked, looking back up at the girl. She seemed helpless now, but he'd be lying if he said her first hit hadn't been extremely painful. He'd felt his cheek fracture. She had broken a bone, with just an elbow! If she had struck a normal human, he would understand. But he was stronger, better, sturdier. She should not have damaged him the way she did.

More mysteries, he supposed.

_We do not like this! She is an unknown. Kill her now!_

Hiei growled, dipping his head once more to banish the voice. But a moment later, a quiet noise like one breath slightly longer than the others drew his attention. He stared, eyeing the girl sharply. Slowly, she lifted her head.

* * *

I didn't need to look around, I knew where the demon was. He crouched like an animal not ten paces away from me, watching me with predatory intensity, yet he made no move. He said nothing, only the narrowing of his eyes and the tension in his legs making it clear he was ready for my next move.

I looked up, to the left and right, and deduced we were in a warehouse at the docks. The sounds of the ocean were distant, so we were further inland. The lighting was dim, and none of it artificial. The color of the light was dark yellow. It was still afternoon.

I looked down to my left, then my right, finding only crates to either side, boxing me in so to speak. No one else inhabited the space with us. Finally, after a thorough scan, I looked back at Hiei, my mouth drawn down slightly.

"Yukimura would have made a much better hostage," I pointed out, and he seemed to be appraising me. "You must have anticipated I would try to kill you."

He gave a short laugh, closing his eyes and standing. He looked down at me with a cruel smirk. The sword in his hand glinted menacingly, but he made no indication that he would use it.

"You can try, but I doubt you'll get very far." His smile widened. "See, I've taken some precautions while you were asleep. We wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious Kazuma, would we?"

My vision flashed red for a second before I grabbed control of my thoughts once more.

"Was your intrusion of my mind simply a fear tactic, or did you even bother to pay attention to what happened to those who have threatened him before?" He turned away, looking out one of the distant windows. He seemed focused, and his voice held a quality of distance when he eventually spoke.

"Oh, I definitely remember. You've got quite a history, don't you?" Then he glanced at me from the corner of his eye, seeming to refocus on me. "You would make an excellent demon. It's really a pity you were born human."

"If you're proposing that we could have been friends in another life, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree." The obvious questions danced on the tip of my tongue, but I refrained from asking them. I could infer the answers easily enough.

"No, not in another life," He turned to me with a smirk undaunted by my unvoiced threat. "_This_ one."

I paused, my head slowly listing to one side.

"I beg your pardon?"

* * *

Yusuke didn't like running.

He was athletic enough that it didn't bother his lungs, and it didn't even really strain his muscles. He was just lazy by nature, and running, above all else, was the most annoying thing in the w orld. Why rush to get somewhere? It would all still be the same no matter when you arrived, and it wasn't like anything was ever important enough for him to want to hurry anyways. It was better to take your time, and you'd get there when you get there.

It always tired him out just looking at other people running. Where were they going? Why did they need to get there so fast? Can't they just slow down for once and stop worrying about stupid stuff all the time? Hell, just thinking about running was exhausting! So you know when you see the lazy-ass punk Urameshi running, you should probably run too.

An unfamiliar fear sat deep in his gut, spurring him on to chase after the ferry girl as she zipped through the sky on her oar, disappearing beyond his view. She had taken to the sky almost immediately after she nearly took a swan-dive off the roof. She screamed in his head, her shrill voice less painful than what she had to say. Little Kuwabara was in trouble.

With his new detective tools in hand and a healthy dose of anxiety, Yusuke tore from the classroom and burst forth onto the near-empty streets, a single-minded determination he'd never known before possessing his every move.

"Yusuke! Here!" Botan's shout made the boy's legs work even harder, rounding the corner to see the blue-haired Spirit hunched over a prone form. Fearfully, a single name jumped to his mind as he stared, frozen. But the body was male, and much larger than the red-haired girl. He forced his limbs to move again, jogging the rest of the way and dropping down beside Botan.

"What… what happened to him?"

The body itself was relatively intact. The face was disturbingly blank, however, and there was blood pooling on the ground from a wound the young detective could not see.

Then, Botan rolled the body over, and Yusuke reared back in horror. A gaping hole occupied the man's stomach, far too large to have been caused by a sword. The sword probably would have left a long wound anyways. This looked like someone had put their whole arm through.

"I know him, he's a teacher in my grade," Yusuke said, swallowing to stop the bile from rising in his throat. He felt sick. The ashen face and empty, listless eyes put forth a haunting image, with frightening implications. Yusuke wasn't even sure the man knew he had died. His hands were clean, not like he had been clutching at the wound to try and save himself, and it didn't look like he had moved an inch since he was struck, no smeared blood or drag marks. It would have taken him some time to bleed out, but there was no sign that he even knew about the wound.

"Oh dear," Botan mumbled. She looked a little green, and it struck Yusuke as weird that the Grim Reaper would be so unsettled by a death, even one this gruesome. If he tried, the teen could count the bones of the cadaver's rib cage.

"Can you tell what happened?" he asked, slapping her arm when she didn't respond. She looked shaken, staring at him with vacant eyes that only added fuel to his rising anger. "Botan, focus! Come on, you're a literal _death_ god, don't you crack on me now!" She blinked a few times, seeming to snap out of whatever weird funk had taken hold.

"I... I can see the energies, where they fought," she began, tearing her eyes off the body below her and staring straight ahead.

"Even when they're not here?" he asked, then his eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying they're around here somewhere?"

She shook her head, seeming to draw herself a little taller.

"No, no," she said forcefully, steeling her resolve. "It's like footprints on the beach. Every time a wave goes over them, they become fainter. The energies are almost gone now, but they're still fresh. Hotaru's, and a few others, they're all mixed up. They fought, I think." Yusuke had to take her word for it, unable to see whatever it was her Spirit eyes could detect.

"So how does that help? Can you see where they went?" Again, Botan shook her head, and he let out a growl of frustration. She glared at him with watery eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't! The energies stop here and don't go anywhere else! Maybe I could find whoever took this man's soul, see what he knows, but there's no-"

She stopped short, cutting off with a strangled gasp. Yusuke's eyes widened in alarm, staring at the woman as she gazed, petrified, into space. He said her name, grabbing her arm to break the trance, but she didn't react to him. She flinched, her eyes bugging out of her skull. She didn't seem aware of her body as she let out a soft yelp, jumping and bringing her hands in front of her chest defensively.

"Hey! Botan!" Yusuke grabbed both her shoulders to shake her, but the moment he touched her, her head whipped around with speed to rival a bullet.

"Oh, _Yusuke_," she sounded even closer to tears, her voice trembling in fear. "It's Hiei- he's told me terrible things through telepathy! He has Hotaru _and Keiko_ and he won't give them back unless we bring him the other two artifacts. He's- he's threatening to kill them!"

_Keiko!?_

"He _what?"_ Yusuke snarled, and tears finally began to spill down the ferry girls pale cheeks. Hotaru must have been trying to protect Keiko. Dammit, it was so obvious! Of course that was Hiei's plan! With a growl, Yusuke ripped the new Demon Compass from his pocket and secured it on his wrist. His unsteady hands fiddled with the _ridiculously tiny_ controls until the thing began to beep, arrow spinning slowly and sporadically.

The beeping increased, and he leaned closer to the compass expectatly, but all movement suddenly died, the device going completely still. He growled, shoving his wrist under Botan's nose.

"It's not working!" She tried hastily, her own dainty finger shaking, but the results were the same.

"He must be too far away," she explained. "Even _I_ can't feel them anywhere!"

Yusuke gritted his teeth, seething inside as several curses clawed and chewed behind his pursed lips. Breathing in through his nose, he sat back on his heels and crossed his arms.

_This has to work!_

He did as Hotaru had instructed not three days ago, looking inside for that pool of energy. It was easier to find this time, the warmth more familiar the longer he had access to it. It seemed... bigger? he couldn't put his finger on it, but there seemed to be more there than before. He could think about that later though.

Recalling her instructions, he took hold of the energy, warm and alluring, and moved it up into his mind. Everything in his skull tingled with a comfortable warmth as the power complied, and he shifted the direction, imagining his senses and gave the instructions. It wasn't a fast process by any means, and more than once, he felt his control slipping. How the hell did Hotaru do this naturally!? He closed his eyes tight, the body and Botan's constant worrying movements a distraction.

Now, without his vision, he could _see_.

Around him in a vast expanse of black was an interwoven pattern of colors, fading quickly, but easily discernible still. There was Hotaru's signature violet, a specific shade and depth of color that was ingrained into his memory for the rest of his life. Twisting and dancing around it, a sparking string of gold, and an ever-present overlayment of deep red.

A single splash of pink stained the air somewhere behind him, but it was focused in that one area, and hardly mattered in the end. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he fed more and more energy to his senses, his mind reaching out with many hands to scour the city. The radius of his search widened gradually, and the entire city seemed at his disposal. He could see everything, though the specifics blinked out of his memory the moment he moved on.

A lot of good _that_ was doing him! _Just tell me where she is, dammit!_

**!**

Then a spark of gold in a corner, somewhere just at the limit of his search, blinked into existence. His eyes snapped open and he shot to his feet, turning to face the direction. It wasn't her, but she had to be close by. That was good enough for him.

"That way," he said to the woman staring up at him in shock. What was in that direction again? Water, maybe. "By the docks, it has to be."

"Y-you're sure? How do you know?" Botan asked in awe, and Yusuke fished his second new toy from his pocket, staring down at it with narrowed eyes.

"Something Hotaru taught me." When he got her back, he was going to buy her something nice. Or steal it. Or maybe he would let her win a fight for once.

_Watch your back, Hiei_, Yusuke thought to himself, slipping the Concentration Ring over his right index finger and watching it shrink to size, the ring of teeth digging into the sensitive skin. The pain was a focus point, and he looked toward the horizon. Toward his target.

"I'm coming for you, you bastard."

* * *

"Would you like to know what I saw in my little trip through your mind?" Hiei asked me, his smile never fading. I raised both brows as condescendingly as I could manage.

"I imagine you saw exactly the same things I did, seeing as we were together. And I consider it more of an invasion than a trip. Just so you're aware."

He chuckled, crossing his arms to mirror my stance. He didn't seem bothered by the irritation in my tone. He was more amused by it than anything.

"I saw someone trapped by their own body, and by those around them. I saw you dealing out justice, yet hiding your true nature from those who claim to love you. But I think you know, if they had any idea what you are, they would turn on you in an instant."

I nodded.

"I don't deny that, hence why I act covertly."

"But are you satisfied with that?" he pressed, and my immediate answer was Yes. Of course I was satisfied. Thanks to me, Kazuma has always been kept safe. "And thanks to him, you can act on your desires, right?"

I know I was glaring at him. I felt my face tighten and my vision grew just the smallest bit darker.

"Kindly stay out of my head," I ordered, and he gave a full-blown laugh, jeering and patronizing in its raucous tone.

"I don't take orders from humans. Especially not Spirit World's _pets_," he sneered derisively. I didn't respond, waiting for him to make his point. "But you don't like that now, do you? Being their good little dog, sniffing out the evil demons for them."

I could see what he was doing. Then again, he wasn't exactly trying to be coy about it, and that didn't change the way it appealed to a small part of me. He would offer me freedom, in exchange for loyalty. He must truly think me to be a fool, or his glimpse into my psyche has given him an even greater insight to me than my self reflection ever could.

"I don't have to hear your thoughts, I can see it in your eyes. You know what I can offer you." His smirk held a hard, victorious edge. "You're bound by rules you follow by default. You're a prisoner in this life, thanks to that brother of yours."

My eyes snapped to his. I hadn't realized I had looked away. Somehow though, I couldn't find it within me to punish him for his consistent threats against Kazuma. They were casual in a way that I took to mean he wasn't entirely serious. Poking a sleeping bear, probably, but not willing to stab it outright.

"He is holding you back. Think of what you could accomplish by letting him go. With the power of the three artifacts, you would hold dominion over all of Human World. The rules would be yours to change as you see fit, yours to break. Your justice would be law."

"I can't help but notice how conveniently absent you are from your own offer," I pointed out. "My freedom comes at the price of loyalty to you, does it not? Tell me why I would trade one supposed captor for another."

His sneer grew tenfold, disturbingly wide, almost cartoonish in the most menacing way. Triumph overpowered his wariness, leading him to approach me without caution. I stood impassively, watching him, wearing my best impression of boredom.

"Because I know you, _Firefly_, in ways he never could." The English word with its perfect pronunciation caught me slightly off-guard. It was uttered in such a fond tone, yet I knew it to be deception. "I understand you. Imagine living in the light, never having to bother with hiding your nature again. You don't need to hide from me."

I clenched my teeth, trying to force my body to relax. My heart refused to cooperate, thumping like its own small voice infecting every square inch of me. It was almost like The Rush, goading me on, willing me to accept the tempting offer.

Freedom. I was a private, covert person by nature. Yet I had always held myself back, even when I _had_ desired something, and my wants always seemed too few and far between to give much attention. If it was not for Kazuma, it was not worth bothering with. That was my mentality. That was what kept me from acting on every impulse. It was a thin string that held back my hands. Why had I let it, I wonder. Why did I let myself stay silent for so long?

Why, despite my misgivings, was I listening to Hiei? I cared about Kazuma… didn't I? Yet Hiei… he was right.

"You hardly have a good track record when it comes to cohorts," I told him casually, though I was aware it was the last thing on my mind. "One has to wonder if any form of alliance with you is really a safe bet."

At this, he scoffed, tossing his head to the side and stalking away, his gait just one furious step away from manic.

"Gouki was weak and an imbecile, neither of which, despite being human, you are. And Kurama… his greatest failing was love, something neither you nor I know anything about." He turned to me, his glare surprising to me. It wasn't necessarily dark, but it was intense, and carried more depth than his words conveyed.

"I won't pretend to like you. All I can do is be honest with you, just as you are with me. Creatures like us do not need _feelings_ to get in the way of success." He then grimaced, brow twitching in agitation as he spun on his heel, his frenetic pacing resuming as though he didn't miss a beat. "We do_ not need weaknesses!_"

The vehemence in his tone was startling, yet somehow, I got the feeling he wasn't speaking to me. Himself, perhaps? Was there a weakness of his own he was not disclosing? He prowled back and forth for a time, hand clenching and relaxing on the hilt of the Shadow Sword. He seemed thoughtful, but in a restless way. When he finally reached a decision, upon his tenth cycle, he stopped and faced me, a strange look in his eye.

"If you truly wish it, you may keep your brother. I will allow only that. In all of this, I can guarantee he will be protected."

His wild about-face in philosophy threw me for a loop. Had he not just accused Kazuma of being a weakness that must be purged? Yet he will protect him. Why? He must have known he had already convinced me, so why should he contradict himself so suddenly? Perhaps it was a reward for my loyalty, should I choose to give it.

I opened my mouth, perhaps to give him an affirmative. I cannot say what I was about to do, because at that moment, the squealing of metal hinges split the near-silence, piercing the dusty afternoon air. Hiei's head jerked up at the noise and he made a sound of displeasure, face wrinkling in displeasure.

"Your detective friend got here sooner than I expected. How unlucky for him." He gave me a last long look, garnet eyes narrowed. "You'd better make your choice quickly, _Firefly_. Patience may be a virtue, but it's certainly not mine." With the unspoken threat hanging in the air between us, he rose to the balls of his feet, then promptly vanished from sight.

I could feel his energy signature moving away, and I once again marveled at his immense speed. It was then that I heard the voice, loud and rough, fury echoing in every syllable as the young man raged at the demon.

_Yusuke._

I took a step, starting to run, then slowed to a stop.

Why?

Why bother with him now? Did he really mean so much to me?

He was pleasant, yes, a companion I would willingly spend time with. He was understanding in ways few had ever been before. He had a way about him that brought me that much-needed light in an otherwise dark, dreary world. Urameshi was like Kazuma, in that regard. And like Kazuma, I would do things for him that I wouldn't even consider doing for anyone else.

I put myself in danger for him. Battling Gouki, he gave me the choice to run, did he not? But I hesitated. I stayed, and because of that, Gouki was now dead. Before, I had thought it a valuable lesson to me on the value of a team. But now... I could see it for what it was.

_I_ was the one to remind Yukimura to save Urameshi's soul before it was too late. If I hadn't, there was no telling if she ever would have remembered. It was by _my_ design that Gouki had been destroyed. Urameshi and Botan would have died without me there, that much I was certain of. Then, it was I who spoke to Kurama, and handled the situation peacefully. It was a pattern, I was realizing. He surely understood it too. Humans notice patterns, after all. It was me, swooping in to save the day at the last minute. Could the imbecile do nothing by himself? Would I forever be relegated to the role of _deus ex machina_ for that idiot, who couldn't even solve his own personal problems without me?

And Kazuma... oh, he had never outright _asked_ for my help. I had offered it freely, though not with words. Hiei was right about one thing: I was severely limited, and my limitations were self-imposed. Kazuma was my reason, my excuse. He stood tall as my shining justification for my sins, the vindication for murder, while simultaneously being the barrier that held me back. Oh, I was so very careful, wasn't I? Careful to make sure he never knew, cautious around everyone, because no one must know.

But in a world without these laws and rules to follow, in a world where my reputation didn't matter... what could I be?

I spent so long focusing on those three questions. Do I need it? Will it help my image? Will it benefit Kazuma? A little self indulgence every now and then was what my mind and body craved, and it was easy to choose my Reason. Kazuma was always in trouble, always leaping into conflict. True, he loved me deeply, and true, I did have a softness for him. A softness...

A weakness.

...

I looked down to the tingling on my little finger, clenching my hand into a fist to hide that _thing_ from my sight.

_And weaknesses… must be purged._

I squared my shoulders, my face lax and blank as it always was and took the path Hiei had. Each silent step was more resolute than the last, until I knew with absolute certainty where I stood.

* * *

_The woman took a deep breath, the closest she could manage to a gasp at this point in her life, and watched the childs soul nearly disappear behind the sakura-pink aura. From sixteen down to eight percent now. _

_"Hotaru, you stupid child."_

_Her teeth clenched and her fingers dug into the bedframe, the most emotion she had shown in some time, yet there was no one around to bear witness to it. The wood creaked and groaned in protest against her grip, but she paid it no mind. What she broke would be replaced anyways. All of her focus was on the girl, who was coming dangerously close to signing her own death sentence. The boy was her only hope now._

* * *

I stepped out onto the scene, this part of the warehouse conveniently barren. Crates were stacked in imitations of walls and mountains, clearing a space large enough for the small gathering that was now in progress. Urameshi's form was the first I recognized, the bright green striking against the dim brown of the wooden cartons. He glared at something on the very top of a tower of boxes, and I followed his gaze to find the black clad figure of Hiei grinning down at him with unbridled evil.

A flash of blue in two shades caught my attention to the left, and a quick glance told me Botan was there, knelt on the ground as she hunched over a third form clad in pale blue. Though the face wasn't visible, it was very clearly-

"Yukimura."

All heads whipped around, and I immediately felt the stares of three sets of eyes.

"Hotaru!"

"Little Kuwabara!"

I didn't dignify their excitement with any attention, looking up at Hiei with a raised brow.

"You took her after all," I remarked, and Hiei smirked.

"Well, I thought two heads were better than one, wouldn't you agree? One for each artifact. Of course I also needed extra insurance in case you decided to decline my generous offer."

"Ah," I nodded in understanding. That was logical. "Well you wont have to worry about that, I've decided to accept."

Movement drew my attention away halfway through speaking, and I found Urameshi facing me mere paces away with mingled confusion and adrenalized anger. I tilted my head, observing his unprepared stance with intention and picking out the first areas I would strike.

"What is he talking about, some crazy bullshit deal? Keiko's gonna be just fine, soon as we beat this guy's ass and get that sword." I raised my brows in surprise, leaning away slightly as he took an audacious step forward.

"You don't seem to understand. I don't care for Yukimura's well being." He recoiled, face tightening painfully.

"What's going on, what did you accept?"

The tension only amplified when Hiei suddenly burst into raucous laughter, clutching at his sides as he howled with unrestrained mirth. It looked as though the sword might slip from his grip. He turned crazed eyes upon Urameshi, impossibly wide grin firmly in place.

"Oh you poor _fool, _can't you see? She's betraying you, for _me_!" He lifted the blade, pointing it straight towards Urameshi in a visual declaration of war. "See unlike you, we know exactly what we are, and we don't need to-"

I rolled my eyes at the demons dramatics, focusing instead on Urameshi's rapidly deflating form The teens face slowly drained of hope, his features falling into a fascinating despair until he turned utterly undone doe-brown orbs to me. The transformation was something magical, though the remaining spark of determination indicated he had yet to accept the truth. Desperation reigned in his eyes as he refused to acknowledge the evidence, taking a somewhat threatening step forward. My lips twitched in amusement.

"No way that's true, you can't! It's that creepy eye- he's controlling you!"

I shook my head with an indulgent smile, crossing my arms and starting to circle him. His eyes followed my path, head turning while I examined him.

"He really isn't. All he's done is show me the error of my ways." I cupped my chin, a faux expression of speculation adorning my features. "Well, perhaps not what _you_ might call errors. I believe you and the little prince of Spirit World would call it progress. Progress towards self-denial."

I let out a bark of laughter and he jolted, whipping around to keep me in his sights and taking another step away. His fear was like blood in the water and my senses sharpened, latching onto the emotion with jagged fangs.

"Did you know, the only reason I even agreed to work for Spirit World was because Koenma told me he could fix me?" I shrugged. "I thought it would be beneficial, that it might be the best thing for Kazuma. I never even stopped to think about what might be best for me. What a disgustingly selfless thing that was!"

"Stop it!" My brows lifted into my hairline, a sardonic smile in place. Urameshi growled, raising a hand to point in my face, so rudely. Why did I put up with his impropriety for so long? "You have to snap out of it! This isn't you, I know you. You're cray, but not _this_ crazy!"

Botan called out frantically: "Hotaru, please! You have to fight him!" I giggled, lifting my hand to my face. My cheeks burned and my eyes squinted from the width of my smile.

"You're funny, Urameshi. You know me? You _know ME?_" The laughter was gone, but the comfortably uncomfortable sneer remained. "You don't know the first thing about me, you moron! You really do reach new levels of idiocy every day. Thinking you know me..." and I pushed down a snicker of fondness. I was going to miss him.

"Cut it out! I won't warn you again. If you don't wake up _right now_, I'll snap you out of it myself!" I hummed, halting my pacing and regarding him with a blank, curious look.

"You don't seem convinced... Ah!" I snapped, a thought coming to me. "You must have found the place where Hiei and I fought, right? Yes, I can see you did if that blue tint to your skin is any indication. You found that teacher, didn't you? The one with the hole in his gut? Would you like to know how that got there?"

Urameshi snarled, moving to gesture at the silently gloating Hiei, but I wagged my finger, resuming my path around his trembling form.

"Ah-ah, not Hiei. See, our demon friend here was trying to use the dear _sensei_ as a shield. A pitiful shield, so very fragile. Yukimura would have made a better deterrent, if only slightly. That man provided no protection from my energy blade. You remember I showed you, just the other day, what my energy could do? So I lit up my arm and ran it clean through to the other side." I blinked fondly at the memory, at the look of utter mortification that had appeared on Hiei's face. It looked rather like Urameshi's did right now, and both were memories I would treasure for the days to come.

"I killed him, and even then- and that was all _before_ my revelation, mind you- I had no remorse. There was just... nothing! He was collateral damage, no more significant than stepping on an ant on the sidewalk. Did you know all of that, Urameshi? Did you know what I was capable of?" His head bowed, fists shaking at his sides. Almost there. This would be a beautiful thing to see! The tips of my fingers tingled in anticipation, my energy begging to be set free.

"Do you remember Akashi-Sensei? That rat-faced _inferior_ who tried to have my brother expelled. Do you know how they discovered his body, or did you even know he was dead? He washed up on a beach, you know. The autopsy report showed seven broken ribs, five teeth remaining, multiple fractures, and missing several small extremities thanks to my lovely aquatic friends. They do a marvelous job getting rid of evidence, most especially when they get a free meal out of it.

"Tell me now, did you know all of that? Do you know about the rest? There's more, if you'd like to hear about it."

His shoulders sagged in defeat, wide eyes staring unseeing at the ground. I shook my head, clicking my tongue sadly. I was really going to miss him.

"You really _didn't_ know me after all, I suppose," I told him gently.

"He didn't." I blinked, freezing where I stood. "But _I_ did."

My head turned slowly of its own accord, my eyes locking onto a quivering Botan. She glared at me furiously, still one step away from a blubbering mess judging from the watery state of her eyes. Although I had to give her credit, she was standing well enough on her own with only a near-corpse beside her. Was Yukimura putting off energy? It wasn't human, that's for certain. I wonder-

"I knew _everything_ about you. I've read your files," Botan continued, startling me. She was still here? "I had to know. After you agreed to help us, Koenma told me to keep an eye on you for suspicious activity. I was curious. I wish I hadn't looked, but I did. And it scared me." She clutched her hands to her chest at the admission, curling in on herself. "But despite all that, I know you're not evil! I know this isn't you. I've seen the real you, Hotaru. You are kind, and selfless, and smart, and you care about your brother so much that it hurts! So you have to listen to us. You're in there, somewhere."

She stopped, suddenly, her head jerking up to gaze at me with wide, hopeful eyes as I stalked towards her. My eyes gentle, I stood before her, a hand resting on her shoulder comfortingly. She blinked, a watery smile forming on her lips.

I grinned. I was _not_ going to miss her.

"Botan, watch out!"

His warning came too late. My hand suddenly erupted in violet energy. I grasped her throat, a clawed hand of light wrapping luminescent fingers around her entire neck. With a grunt of effort, and a laugh at her horrified eyes, I dragged her body around and through the air, tossing her surprisingly light body straight into the oncoming Urameshi. He tripped as they collided, falling over himself and landing on top of her in a heap of limbs, comically splayed at different awkward angles. I couldn't help the bubbling laughter at their predicament, and Hiei seemed to share my enjoyment, appearing just behind me with the sword propped up on his shoulder.

"That was easily the most beautiful thing I've seen since I came to this wretched world," he complimented, and I tossed my hair with a gracious smile.

"Of course," I returned, watching as Urameshi picked himself up from the dog pile. The rage in his face was palpable, and I covered my mouth to hide my surprise.

"_That's IT_," he screamed, raising both fists in preparation for our final battle. However, he made no move to strike.

"I've had just about enough of this crap! So what if you killed that guy? He got in the way, right? You were just trying to protect Keiko!"

I blinked.

_What?_

"And I get it, you've got issues. We've _all_ got issues, you're nothing special! So maybe you went murder-crazy and whacked a few assholes. If you ask me, maybe the world's better off without 'em!"

My eyes grew wide.

_Huh!?_

"You wanted to make it right, you were trying! You can't tell me it was all a lie. You _wanted_ to get better!"

No. No, no _no no NO!_ What was he _doing_?

"Don't you _dare_ throw all that away because some jerk thinks he can mess around with your head."

"I'm a monster," I finally informed him, shaking my head in casual disbelief. "After all I've done, all I _want_ to do, there's no hope for me." Why couldn't he see that? I was so certain I had broken him. What was this? Where the hell was this coming from?

_Get out of there!_

"So what do you want, a medal? Good job, you're an irredeemable monster, and no one can forgive you! Well that's too fucking bad, because I'm not going anywhere!" He straightened, pointing at with an authoritative glare. "Guess what dumbass, _I forgive you!_"

Wait...

"You've got to snap out of it, right now!"

No, this wasn't right. He was lying. He had to be. This isn't how this was supposed to go. This wasn't how you acted when you were good, and he was _insufferably_ good.

**_I forgive you._**

"Are you even listening!?"

**_I. Forgive. You._**

He forgave me. For what? For being what I am? For something I can't control? That brat! How dare he think he can have any power to say what I can and cannot do? How dare he presume that I want his pitiful forgiveness? _Hiei_ understands. _Hiei_ would never forgive me, because _Hiei_ doesn't expect me to betray myself. _Hiei_ doesn't demand a side of me that doesn't exist. _Hiei_ would laugh, because there is nothing to forgive.

_That's it, focus on Hiei! Think of the freedom, its what you want! It's all you need, and he can give it to you. Don't listen, don't wake-_

"WAKE _UP_!"

His fist collided with my face before I even had a chance to register that he had invaded my personal space. There was something hard on one of his fingers, a golden ring with teeth that I had failed to notice before, and it dug into my skin painfully. I reached for his throat, my only intention to squeeze the light from his eyes, but my hands never made it past his elbows.

I saw color.

Pale blue, easily recognizable as his Spirit Energy, erupted from his knuckles like a grand wave from the sea. It lit a fire on my skin, drawing out my own power like sucking poison from a wound. It surged to the surface, meeting his in a fluorescent display that would put the northern lights to shame. I was sent staggering back, the contact lasting for only a brief moment before I could get away. His energy latched onto me still, embracing my own for a few blissful seconds and sending waves of contented warmth surging through me.

Just as quickly, it was gone, and I was left standing there, staring off to the side. I couldn't move, my head snapped back as though it were my new permanent form.

_What happened?_

"Yusuke," I muttered, and a deep chuckle echoed unpleasantly in my ears. A hand fell to my shoulder and gave me a light push.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the fool. I imagine you'll have fun cleaning up here."

That voice... Did I know him? Were we friends? Why did he think he could touch me so casually? I turned to see him disappearing into thin air, but a flash in my vision of spiky black hair confirmed that it was Hiei, the demon. My target.

_What?_

"HOTARU!"

Yusuke glared at me before Hiei suddenly engaged him. They moved in a blur of colors, green chasing black out of my sight and further into the warehouse. Warehouse? What were we doing here again?

Urameshi... Yusuke was angry... with me. What did I do this time?

I blinked, my periphery catching sight of a mass of pale blue. Looking to the right, I discovered the two feminine forms, one lying on the floor with the other huddled over it. Botan, her obnoxious blue hair in an alarming state of disarray, had thrust her hand over Yukimura's forehead, emitting a soft glow that bathed the young girl's face in warm, baby-blue light.

_Botan, and Yukimura? What..._

And in the blink of an eye, everything came crashing back down onto my shoulders. Every cold, misanthropic remark, every sadistic laugh and wild, unchecked emotion, every action I had taken against my... my _friends_, it all came back in a painful rush of _feeling_. Each word speared into my brain with the force of a thousand harpoons, sinking in hooks at every opportunity and infecting me with a fierce, burning guilt.

I reached out blindly and placed my hand against a stack of boxes. Balancing was suddenly very difficult now.

My head jerked around to focus on the sounds of battle, wood creaking and shattering and voices raised in martial anger. Yusuke was there. He was fighting, without me. He needed me. I took a step in that direction on shaky legs, still leaning on the crates for support.

"Ah!"

I stopped, whipping my head back around. Botan, yes, she was still here. And she was struggling. Casting out my sense, I could feel her power draining, and judging by the look of great discomfort on her face, it wouldn't be long until she was completely empty. Time to prioritize.

"Botan," I called, and was surprised when she let out a yelp of... fear? She turned to me with wide, teary magenta eyes, curling in on herself.

"H-Hotaru, please don't-"

"Botan, what's happening?" I interrupted, and she let out a small noise of surprise. Her eyes grew impossibly wider, and I worried they may fall out if she wasn't careful.

I pushed away from my supportive wall, just barely managing to stay on my feet as I stumbled the expanse between the two girls and myself. Botan recoiled (I remembered why, now), but I only dropped down beside her with a sigh of relief. No time to rest, however. I leaned over Yukimura, blinking the haze from my eyes as I struggled to stay upright. There was a line on her forehead, an though it appeared to be a normal cut the lack of any blood and the excess of demonic red energy told me it was something more.

"What happened to Yukimura?" I asked, looking at Botan expectantly. She only stared at me in bewilderment, finally finding her voice a second later.

"Y-you're... worried?" I gritted my teeth, but struggled to remain calm. Understanding, that was key. She had just witnessed... something inexplicable, and the complete reversal had to be jarring for her.

"I am myself again. I promise you, this is me," I said urgently, careful not to touch her as I reached forward, as though to calm a frightened animal. "Tell me what's going on, what has Hiei done to her?"

She looked hesitant, and I only just managed to keep the snarl from my voice. We didn't have time for this sensitivity! As though sensing the urgency of the situation, she nodded resolutely.

"I- He cut her with the Shadow Sword. She's going to turn into a demon unless we get the antidote from the sword's hilt." The ferry girl looked down, her lips drawing into a thin line of pain. "I'm trying to slow the process, but I can only do so much! Hiei is too strong, and the eye is already opening!"

True to her words, the line which I had thought a cut was now widening. The formation of two separate lids was easily visible, as was the oblong purple iris just now peeking out from under her skin. Botan was right, the eye was emitting its own energy, something that felt much like Hiei's. Said demon and detective caused yet another loud crash, and I could vaguely hear insults being traded. That left little time.

"Here, move for a moment." She gave me a confused look, but shifted aside to give me access to Yukimura. I reached into my skirt pocket, producing the smooth pink pen and booklet that Hiei had so foolishly left on my person. Thanking his momentary incompetence, I uncapped the pen, thumbing through the runes with one hand.

Healing would do no good, I had a feeling this didn't qualify as an injury. In any case, I could feel the power of the eye growing steadily stronger. It would eradicate the rune in seconds if the marking was targeted directly at the demonic energy. A banishing rune might just dispel her entire body. Protection was all I could think of that applied. The only problem was the different possible outcomes. It might protect Yukimura from the eye, but it might also take the magic to mean it should protect the eye from Botan.

"Your curse pen," Botan exclaimed as I lowered the tip to Yukimura's cheek.

"Do you know how it works?" I queried, and she nodded an affirmative. I frowned, glancing between the page and the girl's skin to make sure I copied the symbol correctly. In a few black lines and loops, it was completed. I watched, ready with the rune to stop the magic if there was any ill effect. However, Botan's look of shock assuaged my anxiety.

"The eye, it's not in contact with her spirit anymore," she said in wonder.

"You need to focus your energy on the rune. It won't stay forever, but if you feed it your energy, it will be able to protect her longer, and at a lesser cost to you." She turned a grateful smile to me, shifting to move her body, when she suddenly screamed. A particularly loud jolt of electric energy struck her hand from the eye, which slowly began to open.

The rune disappeared. I cursed, leaning down once more to apply the mark.

"Get ready, start as soon as I move away," I commanded.

"Roger," she replied, and the second I had leaned back, her hands were hovering over the area. Her blue light covered Yukimura's face, and though the lightning remained, the rune stayed put. Botan gave a small yelp as the skin of her hands began to split, red beads running down her palm and dripping onto the blue uniform the student wore.

"Botan?" It was many questions in one, but she shook her head to all of them.

"I'll be fine. Go help Yusuke." I nodded, then, as I pushed myself to my feet, promptly fell right back down.

Botan worriedly called my name, but I ignored her entirely, forcing my energy into my legs and shoved myself back up off the ground. I did not endure those nights sparring and fighting with Urameshi for nothing, and I would _not_ allow this mysterious and inconvenient exhaustion to stop me. With my veins now pumped full of spirit energy, the unsteadiness of my legs was a thing of the past. I dashed in the direction I had last heard the sounds of the fight, but it was eerily quiet now, save for a single voice, taunting and cruel. Hiei.

I rounded the corner in time to see the demon, lunging towards a kneeling Yusuke with the sword. ... Was that even Hiei?

His skin was a sickly green, toned, muscular body adorned with a multitude of eyes that matched the Jagan in color and intensity. His hair, formerly a single flame, now split into two, like massive horns branching out from the top of his head. However, there was no mistaking the face, sharp and grinning madly. That grin dropped a moment later as the sword plunged into something that was _not_ his intended target.

The new arrival had taken the attack in Yusuke's stead, the blade now lodged deep in his gut. Blood spread from the wound in a dramatic imitation of a flower opening its petals to greet the sun, yet the figure stood there, a smirk reaching his emerald eyes as he gazed defiantly at a now shocked Hiei.

"Kurama, what the hell are you doing!?"

The demon, for it was indeed the crimson-haired fox, only reached forward, gripping the blade and sliding his hand down towards himself, leaving a trail of blood dripping down the cool silver. I watched in fascination as he then flung the blood pooling in his palm straight into Hiei's face. More specifically-

"My eye! My Jagan eye!"

Hiei scrambled backwards with a shriek, furiously rubbing at the redness that now smothered his jagan. The sword fell from his grip, clattering to the floor off to the side of the scene. My eyes narrowed, focusing on that cursed weapon, and my feet carried me immediately there.

"Hey, I've come untied!" Where Yusuke's body had been bound by glowing red ropes, he was now free with nary a red thread to be seen, with exception to... well, anyhow. I stooped to grab the sword, my fingers curling around the gnarled hilt. It was as heavy as it looked, and I looked down to find my eyes reflected back at me in the blade. They narrowed in disgust the longer they looked back at me, and I eventually had to look away, my arm falling to my side.

"Hotaru?" I glanced back, finding Yusuke regarding me with a wary frown. I ran my gaze over him once, twice to assess his injuries.

"Are you alright?" I queried quietly, and he gaped, blinking wide eyes at my question.

"Uh, yeah. Are you?" I nodded, ignoring his look of skepticism.

"I am myself. Kurama, that looks bad," I said, turning my attention to the newcomer. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it came across as a pained grimace.

"I'll be fine," he replied, pressing a hand to the gaping wound. "Just a minor hole in my stomach." The corners of my lips twitched.

"Kurama, why?" Yusuke took a step towards the ginger demon, his face pinched in concern. "You didn't have to do this- any of it."

The boy smiled kindly, his smile now much softer, said: "I am only alive because of the two of you. At the very least, I must repay that debt, and at most, I must assist my allies." The brief glance in my direction was the only indication that his comment was for me. I withheld a smile at my success.

"I will use my power to help the girl," he continued. "Now you two must deal with Hiei."

"_Kurama_..." All three of our heads turned to the growling demon, whose enraged garnet eyes burned bright as dying stars, and with all of their heat. His teeth gnashed, bared in a primal display of aggression. His gaze flickered to my position at the halfway point between him and my allies. He eventually noticed the sword, his eyes lighting instantly.

"_Firefly_, my sword! Give it to me," he demanded. I hesitated for a moment, lifting the blade once more to ponder those icy blue pits that stared back up at me. What had possessed them to make them so empty, I wondered. What did Yusuke see when he looked at me now? Was he afraid? Was he lying before when he claimed to forgive me? "Now, girl!"

I raised a brow, giving Hiei a look full of disdain. I spun the blade in my grip so that the sharp end pointed down, then held it out for Kurama to take. I kept my eyes locked on Hiei's face as I spoke, and I was pleased to find watching it fall in astonishment was just as priceless as it sounds.

"The antidote is in the hilt," I explained shortly, not bothering to look at the fox. "Take it, and don't mess it up."

Hiei's face twisted thunderously as the weight of the sword disappeared from my grip, and blood-red eyes tracked Kurama's movements all the way back through the way I had come. The smaller demon took a step as if to pursue, but Yusuke and I both moved to intercept, placing ourselves directly in his path.

"How about you take your problems up with us," Yusuke growled, and I crossed my arms defiantly. "Good to have you back, crazy," he added, and I gave a short laugh.

"Of course."

"_You_." Hiei's blazing orbs never strayed from me, staring me down with the intensity of a thousand suns. If looks could kill, I'd be dead several times over. "We had a deal. What the hell do you thing you're doing!?"

"Coming to my senses," I replied in an even tone. "As difficult as it may be to understand, I'm making the _right_ choice this time."

He let out a mix between a feral howl and a barking laugh, mania corrupting his features further into a picture of utter madness.

"You _absolute imbecile_! There are no wrong or _right_ choices, only those that benefit you!" He shook his head, looking my frame up and down with pure disgust written on every facet of his face. "You were not this weak before. What happened to all that self-acceptance, your little epiphany? Was that all just a ruse? I think not! That monster is still in there, somewhere."

"Oh give it up, Three-Eyes," Yusuke barked. "She's not gonna fall for your crap again!"

"No, Yusuke. He's right," I conceded with a smile, and regarded Hiei with a scolding look. "It's there, and it has made its case. Unfortunately for the monster, and you, it wasn't enough."

He sneered derisively.

"_Fool_! You've chosen their _feelings_ over your own power, their weakness!" He started towards me, and I lit my arm in a violet aura, charging the weapon over my skin and through my veins until it bent to the shape I desired: a simple double-edged blade, wickedly curved at the end. Hiei stopped, glowering at the energy weapon as it lifted, pointing in his direction.

"No, I have chosen their _strength_. You underestimate the power of their emotion, how integral it is to their persistence. They have a certain... tenacity," I glanced at Yusuke, who fixed me with a look akin to pride. "A vitality to them that you and I have dismissed as weakness simply because we could not _understand_ those feelings. And it is that ignorance which will be your undoing."

"Well, Hiei?" Yusuke grinned in positively vicious manner. "You heard the crazy lady!"

With a bestial roar, Hiei advanced, lashing out at me first. I jumped back, giving Yusuke room to throw his own punch. It connected solidly with Hiei's face, but he didn't seem to feel it. The rage in his eyes darkening them to almost black.

He lunged for me again, ducking around Yusuke in his pursuit. I leaned away to avoid his second strike, spinning my body to send my left hand straight into his gut, already forming another curved blade. The demon deflected with a hiss as his hands came into contact with my energy, whirling in place like a mad dog, teeth bared in a snarl.

The mauve light flickered, and I could feel the mild first notes of panic begin to creep into my mind. All my power was going towards keeping me upright and moving, there was barely any left to use as a weapon. I shouldn't have charged it until I was ready to strike!

His knee caught my side, sending me crashing into a nearby crate, and the energy disippated entirely. I heard a scuffle before Yusuke's cry of alarm, and he too was sent through the air. I blinked rapidly, pushing myself to my feet and rushing Hiei, whose back was to me. I made to stab between his back ribs, but he vanished, reappearing just to my left. Again, the purple light faded from existence.

I dodged a kick and Yusuke rejoined the fight, attempting to corner him. Hiei was too fast, disappearing every time we made a move, but always just slow enough for us to dodge his attacks. It must have been difficult keeping up with two opponents, and his aura grew more and more enraged. When his back turned to me for a split second, I once more charged a final point around my hand, striking at his spine.

He jumped straight up into the air before I came even close, and I just barely managed to call back my energy before impaling Yusuke. The two of us stumbled against each other in our haste to stop our respective attacks, and it was enough of a mistake for Hiei to take immediate advantage.

He landed just behind Yusuke, grabbing the back of his green jumpsuit and hauling him off his feet. Yusuke sailed through the air, Hiei following closely behind. The demon joined the boy in the air, thrusting his knee into his opponent's spine. Yusuke let out a yelp, and I ran toward them just as Hiei slammed an elbow straight down, Yusuke's body responding immediately as it crashed onto the concrete.

He was upon me in an instant, his fist crunching into my cheek with enough force to knock me off my feet. I spat out a glob of mixed blood and saliva when I hit the floor, warmth blooming over my face uncomfortably. I met his raging eyes, pushing myself up to a stand. A quick glance behind the demon had me concerned. Yusuke lay there unmoving.

"You made the wrong choice, _Firefly_," Hiei growled, a predatory grin spreading over his face. "You could have been something great. Now you, and all your pathetic friends will die." I zeroed in on his throat and lunged with weak, violet claws, but he caught my wrist, twisting roughly and jerking my body closer. His other hand grabbed my neck, sharp nails digging into my skin as he wrenched me down to the floor.

Both my wrists were captured in his hands, and I found my airway being mercilessly crushed by a knee pressing down on my throat. The effect was immediate. I could hardly breathe, my head pounding with every slow heartbeat, each taking longer than the last. My vision darkened, the smallest tunnel allowing me to see Hiei, cruel smile staring into my eyes as he waited to watch the light dim.

I tried to say something to Yusuke, anything, but as the seconds passed and my stuttering noises grew softer, all I knew was the burning of my lungs, and the steadily declining Rush. My eyes rolled into the back of my head. Above me, Hiei shook with laughter unheard.

In the distance, a voice bellowed something, and a bright light overtook what was left of my vision. The pressure vanished, and with a painful gulp, air rushed back into my lunge, stinging the sensitive flesh of my throat. I gasped, coughing as the blackness dissipated. I rolled over to one side, forcing myself to sit up. Hiei couldn't have moved very far, he had to be nearby still. I hazily searched for him, then looked to my left, and froze.

The basketball-sized orb of blue energy hurtled towards me on a warpath. Beyond it, Yusuke's horrified scream chased the tail end of the bullet as it barreled through the air at full speed. In the moment that was left for me to react, all I could do was raise a hand to shield my face, and hope that the attack wouldn't remove the appendage completely. I flinched, shamefully, when the Spirit Gun finally connected, a blinding flash of light overtaking me and a heat enveloping my palm. I clenched my teeth, willing the pain to pass swiftly...

But there _was_ no pain. I cracked open one eye, wondering if perhaps a mysterious savior had somehow taken the blow for me as they did Yusuke. My throat constricted mid-gasp as my eyes fell upon the orb of spirit energy, hovering just beyond my fingertips. It spun in place, blanketed by a thin layer of violet that seemed to be frozen in time, splashing out from the sides of my hand. Steady warmth radiated comfortably from the small star, its light not so blinding now as it had been. Only a whisper of a thought ran through my mind.

I had caught Yusuke's Spirit Gun.

Before I could even begin to process this, or the implications that came with it, a shadow passed over me, tearing my attention away from my monumental achievement. Hiei touched down in a flourish of mossy green and black, and a choice that I could not even begin to put into words was made, instinct overriding logic in a single moment. I pushed back.

The demon turned, garnet eyes flashing in disbelief, then horror. He was hit by the orb in an explosion of light and sound, his scream lost to the overwhelming power that enveloped him. I retracted my arm to cover my eyes, but the blast only held out for a few moments before the energy was spent. Hiei, his body reverting to its natural form, fell to the ground, his chest scorched black and his face twisted in permanent agony.

A beat passed in silence, the only sound registering to me being my labored breathing. Then, after several seconds, I lifted my gaze to meet Yusuke's across the room.

He was grinning madly, looking at me with enough concentrated glee to eclipse the sun. Against all odds...

we had won.

* * *

**This may be my longest chapter yet...**

**I can hear you now. "What? No canon divergence? What was all the buildup for?" Guys and gals, I'm playing the long game here. Besides, we got a little taste of Evil Hotaru in this, and my _god_ was it fun! Fun for _me_, I don't know if you liked it. But I liked it, it was different. And there _was_ a little bit of canon divergence, just not enough to throw the whole story off. Maybe something seemingly innocuous is actually really important. Who knows?**

**...**

**...**

**It's me. I know.**

**This really makes me want to write an AU for this story now, where she and Hiei kill Yusuke and Botan and Hotaru keeps Keiko as a sort of pet or slave, kinda like payback for being so irritating. The way things would progress though, it would not have a happy ending. Kurama would probably be dead too, come to think of it. I don't really have the time to write it at the moment, but it's something fun to consider for later.**

**Meow for now!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Kinda takes the title away for current longest chapter from the last one, huh?**

**I definitely did NOT wait until the last possible moment to edit/write this chapter, and have had this well planned for weeks already. Nope, nuh-uh, not me! I'm the epitome of the responsible adult, and I _totally_ have my shit together. It's not like this is yet another Frankenstein-ed mishmash of other rejected or unwanted ideas from other chapters that were rearranged to suit the needs of the ever-changing, ever-evolving plot. Nah... **

* * *

_Then the time for being sad is over,  
And you miss 'em like you miss no other,  
And being blue is better than being over it, over it._

_No one wants you when you have no heart and  
I'm sitting pretty in my brand new scars and  
You'll never know if you don't ever try again.  
So let's try, let's try, let's try._

_\- Hallelujah - Panic! At the Disco_

**Paradoxical Predicaments Propagate Petulance**

Koenma stared impatiently at the "nurse" while she gazed through the spy-bird's eyes, her attention focused solely on the red-haired girl sitting on the crate beside the green-clad delinquent.

The woman admired the boys energy for a moment, the bright, ethereal blue against white striking quite the image beside the conflicted colors that made up Hotaru. Pink, purple and white warred as they fought for dominance, finally settling down as the purple gained ground. It solidified, expanding to briefly tap against the boys aura before retreating with a satisfied glow. This was exactly the response the woman had been hoping for.

The boy was strong, his great power tied to his rather potent emotions. He was the perfect candidate for this task, and Hotaru seemed to have developed more than just a passing fondness for him. If they were lucky, it could evolve into an actual friendship. The boys tenacity combined with the girl's natural adaptability could easily make them an unstoppable force for good.

Not that the concept of "good" meant much to the "nurse" anymore. Good was rather subjective these days.

"Well? What's the percentage now?" the nearly-forgotten toddler prince asked, his nasally voice somewhat grating. "Mab!"

The woman sighed, rolling her eyes.

"There was a substantial jump to twenty-one percent. That's a five point increase in less than an hour's time, not counting the brief time it dropped below ten. It seems your boy is doing better than we projected."

"And that's good, right?"

Mab hummed thoughtfully, eyes fixed on the still-fluctuating pink that was trying to reclaim its territory on the soul.

"Yes and no. The change itself is good, but too much too quickly could result in an imbalance of emotions. Her attempts to rationalize the sudden changes could set her back. It seems we got lucky this time. I'd keep an eye on her more closely now, just to see how she handles the emotional influx. Hopefully, it will pass with minimal consequences."

* * *

Yusuke and I sat side by side against the alley wall of his favored restaurant, that of Yukimura's parents. Delivering the girl safely there was not nearly as difficult as I imagined, and the dinner rush was such that minimal questions were asked when Yusuke informed the middle-aged couple of their daughters sudden head-cold.

I was surprised when, upon being offered a traditional free meal, Yusuke managed to drag me along and include me in the meal plan. Though I've seen it portrayed in media, I didn't imagine the "any friend of Yusuke's is a friend of mine" trope would actually exist, let alone that I would be on the receiving end of such a bold statement. However, it wasn't terribly inaccurate. Despite my actions I still appeared to have a friend, as well as a full and satisfied stomach.

Despite Yusuke's best efforts, Kurama could not be convinced to stay, returning home shortly after the battle ended. I did manage to mark him with a healing rune before he left, as Botan's power was significantly drained. He seemed interested in the pen, and I was considering letting him borrow it for study. It was the least I could do after his impeccable timing had saved Yusuke's life. Though it seemed a coincidence, or some machination of fate, Kurama attested that he had felt the initial fight between Hiei and myself, and was already on his way to assist.

Coincidence or not, I was grateful for his interference. As I was, I would not have made it to Yusuke in time, and even with my spirit energy, I would have ultimately failed. Perhaps it was more evidence that we, as individuals, were weak. If that was the case, it was also evidence that there was certainly power in unity.

I closed my eyes, welcoming the darkness as a realm in which my thoughts could run freely.

It disturbed me greatly that I had been so easily swayed by Hiei's offer. As he continued to speak, I felt less and less myself. One might assume he was using his power over the mind to influence me, but there was nothing intruding. I remember quite well how it felt to have my mind broken into. It was not the same. My actions were my own, yet it felt as though I was only a passenger in my body, watching as I made all the wrong choices.

_There are no wrong or right choices, only those that benefit you._

Hiei was right, in a sense. Not that it justified what I had done... what I had almost done. But I felt I didn't need justification, not much in the habit of lying to myseld. His offer did still appeal to me, most especially if Kazuma would be protected from the horrors of my world. However, I could not find it in myself now to ever accept, no matter how good it sounded. The freedom, while tempting, was never the best choice for me.

This, while not entirely better, felt somehow right. Despite this, there was still that nagging in the back of my mind, that single memory that refused to leave my thoughts.

~"_DIABHAL! TÉIGH AMACH!"~_

Those words were entirely foreign to me, rough and gutteral, yet flowing from each impossible collection of consonants to another with the utmost grace. It was a far cry from the almost lyrical quality of Japanese, and was reminiscent of something Nordic. The woman, with her empty black eyes, spoke the words to Hiei, not even sparing me a glance.

While I do detest the cliche questions, they must be asked. Who was she, and why in the world was she in my mind? ...Perhaps, the obstruction the Spirit World nurse spoke of? But then why would they not have told me it was another person? Did they even know what they were dealing with?

"You wanna tell me what the fuck happened back there?"

My eyes slid open, and I could see Yusuke looking at me from my periphery. I didn't need to look at him directly to know he was not smiling. For now, the thought of the screaming woman could be shelved.

"I would like to," I replied carefully. "But I'm afraid I don't know any more than you."

This answer did not satisfy him, and he leaned forward, trying to look at me head on. I gave my head a subtle tilt, avoiding his eyes as best as I could. It was inexplicable, but I think if I looked into his eyes now, I might retreat, either physcally leaving the area or simply sink further into my own mind with the internalized guilt his gaze was sure to induce.

"Okay, was Hiei doing something to your head? He had that eye, who knows what he could do with it." I hummed with a small smile, grateful to him for trying to give me an out.

"He can tear his way into one's mind and force them to relive the memories they'd rather not think of again," I started, watching as his face fell. "He hears your thoughts and spies on you from afar, and he can know the you, in your deepest most primal self that you, as a civilized human, refuse to acknowledge."

"'Taru…"

"He offered me freedom, Yusuke. Do you have any idea how an offer like that made me feel? Do you know what it is to hide the largest part of yourself, because you know that if the ones who loved you knew, they would stop loving you?" My brow furrowed, expressing for me the confusion and confliction I felt at that moment, but could not show organically.

"I've dedicated my life to protecting Kazuma. Everything I do is for him. He gives my life purpose, but Hiei was right. I was using my brother as an excuse to break the rules. I've done many terrible things, Yusuke. More than you know."

He was quiet for a moment, leaning back against the wall. I wondered what he was thinking for him to be so silent. It was normally so difficult to keep up with his conversations when he really got going. He talked about many things, some of them were nothing. Some of them truly grabbed my attention. His muted thought was, for lack of a better term, unnatural. More than that, I knew exactly where his thoughts were headed, and down which paths they would turn. I knew the conclusion he would come to. He was far too good of a person not to come to that realization.

"So everything you said, about those teachers I mean, that was true?" I had no choice now. I had to look him in the eye. It was, less than metaphorically, the moment of truth. And when I did finally meet his gaze, I saw in there a futile hope. A hope I would have to crush.

"Yes." His brow pinched, and I continued in a casual voice. "And I don't regret what I did. That's the really awful part. How do you think Kazuma would react if he knew not only what I do, but that I have no remorse?" I shrugged. "This is why I keep the secrets. It's so much easier."

He hummed thoughtfully, his face drawn in consternation.

"Well, I'll stick by what I said before. You did what you had to, and Akashi had it coming." My eyes grew wide, head jerking to stare him down. I imagined he had said those things to try to convince me not to side with Hiei. It was odd to hear them again with my own ears, and not ones clouded by apathy.

"You mean to say you actually forgive me? Without even knowing my other victims?" I quirked a brow slightly, and he frowned.

"Well don't thank me for it or anything," he snarked, and I tilted my head.

"But… I didn't _ask_ for your forgiveness." He glared, then reached over and gave my arm a shove. I eyed his hand as he pulled it back, but otherwise didn't retaliate.

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean."

"I really, truly don't. Why do you think you can forgive me?" He gave me a strange look, cocking his head like a confused puppy.

"I just do. You do what you gotta do, and that's fine by me. Just as long as you don't go pulling some stupid shit like switching sides again." He frowned, leaning forward. "So you were actually gonna go with Hiei, huh?"

I blinked, my lips quirking down in the genuine expression of guilt.

"Well, yes, I would have killed you," I answered matter-of-factly.

"But you didn't."

"Is that really what matters?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

I grunted, looking off to the side, then nodding in acceptance. I didn't ask for vindication. I didn't think I needed it. But knowing that Yusuke was comfortable with me, aware of what I am and still able to sit beside me with his eyes closed and front exposed…

It felt quite nice, I think.

"What did you call me, just a moment ago?" I asked, suddenly recalling the very beginning of our conversation. He looked confused, and I tilted my head curiously. "Taru, I think. You called me Taru." _Sufficient_. Though I imagined he was spelling it in his head as the two letters rather than the word. The pronunciation was different as well.

"Ah," he shrugged. "Well it's better than Little Kuwabara, right?"

I nodded.

"Immensely."

He smirked, and I shook my head. I certainly hope he didn't expect me to give _him_ a nickname. Nothing, aside from Dolt, appealed to my sensibilities. I heard that nicknames had to be discovered rather than given, and it would be a waste of time to find his when he had a perfectly serviceable name. Still, the shortened version of my own name wasn't terribly unpleasant, and the alternate spelling was pleasing as well. It was tolerable.

"So Botan said they had to wipe Keiko's memory," he commented idly. The conversation was officially over, and I was content to let it end.

"Oh? How far back?" I would hate for all my effort lying to her to be wasted.

"Just to the point where you got there to save her." We had swapped stories on the way back, curious as to how we ended up in our respective situations. I found I was proud of the way he had used his abilities. Perhaps he wasn't a complete dunce of a student after all.

"That's good, I've already given her a believable explanation for Botan, as well as our disappearances." He looked surprised, turning his head to face me.

"Really? What did you tell her?" I relayed the events of earlier today, his face reacting comically at all the right moments. He seemed to approve of my fabrication, sighing with relief.

"I mean, it's true though," he said, and I nodded.

"I thought I would make it easier for you not to slip up, plus it made Botan's alibi seem more realistic. In any case, you can be vague and still tell the truth."

"You just love those technicalities don't you?" He grinned at my confused look. "Oh come on, you're just so proud of yourself, figuring out how to lie without lying!"

"That's called slanting the truth. It's surprisingly easy, if you have the intelligence for it."

In that way, I earned myself a black eye to add to the litany of bruises from the battle, and Yusuke would go on to the next school day with a split lip. It was a productive evening.

I arrived home some time after six, early enough not to be too suspicious, but late enough that I would have a valid excuse to disappear into my room and indulge in some light research…

With the book I'd left at school. Wonderful.

I growled quietly to myself, shutting the front door. The click must have alerted Shizuru, who stuck her head out of the kitchen with a slightly perplexed look on her face.

"Hey Kiddo, where have you been all day?" Then, her face darkened to a scowl. "What's with all the bruises?"

I slipped my shoes off and set them on the mat by the door, unconsciously trying to shield my face from her observant eyes.

"Someone attacked a friend of mine. I retaliated." Her piercing honey eyes scrutinized me with a laser focus, but she would find no lie. "I do hope I'm not expected to sit idly by in such scenarios," I added with a challenge in my pinched features.

She seemed like she was about to argue, but wisely bit her tongue, turning away and disappearing into the kitchen, from whence a burning smell began to originate. I passed by the room without a glance.

"Is it the same friend whose mom was in the hospital?" I froze on my way to the stairs, backtracking until I stood in the entryway. I watched her carefully as she moved something around in a large pot.

"How did you know about that?" I asked her curiously. No point denying it, of course.

"Someone who worked there called to let us know you were okay." I tilted my head as I tried to recall everyone I had seen there who I knew. The answer came to me rather quickly.

"A nurse," I inferred, and the way her shoulders tensed confirmed my suspicion. "Nurse Kaguya."

She hesitated, then quietly, "Yeah."

I suppose I wasn't too displeased with her calling my family. It did show that she cared to some degree, and did not land her on my radar as a threat. However, it was unlikely I could trust her, should she see me anywhere else and decide to call again.

"I see. It was not that friend, but another." She nodded, stirring the contents of the pot.

"Okay," she said, sounding satisfied. "Did you win?"

In one of the rarest of instances, she brought out a smile, and it was real. It may have been more of a smirk, but it was a genuine reaction.

"Of course."

"Good girl," I could hear her smile, and my own faded away. Just what tactic was she trying now? Being motherly didn't work. Would she attempt excessive support of my bad habits? In my musing, I didn't catch her question, only realizing she had spoken when she turned to me with a quirked brow.

"Yo, Kid, dinner?" I shook my head, eyeing a visible spot of the boiling sludge with suspicion.

"No, my friend treated me." A lie by technicality, since Yusuke didn't actually pay for the food. "In any case, I'd like to see my fourteenth birthday."

I disappeared before the growling woman could chuck the spoon in my direction, walking briskly up the stairs and to my room. As I passed by Kazuma's room, the door creaked slightly, then flew open. I turned to address my brother, but he was already upon me. He grabbed my shoulders in a firm grip, face wrinkled as he assessed my face.

"Ru-Ru! What happened?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to goad Yusuke after all.

* * *

"Wow, Hotaru-Chan… what happened to you?"

The number of people who had asked me that question was not nearly as high as I had expected, reserved to teachers mostly. However, it was hard to get by Asako and Hitomi when they were staring so intensely.

"I would think it's obvious. I was in a fight." The two girls traded glances, Asako's features pulling into a worried frown.

"A fight? Was it with your brother's gang? You're not going around with them anymore are you!?" She leaned forward in alarm, her face so close I could feel the warmth of her breath as it washed over my face. I wrinkled my nose slightly at the sharpness of the mint smell and placed a hand out to stop her. It didn't make contact, simply hovering near her shoulder.

"No, I am not. However if I choose to take that up again it will certainly be none of your business." I made sure to add a decent amount of warning in my tone, but she was too dense to pick up on that.

"Like hell it's not," Asako said angrily, straightening. She pointed at my face, her finger inches away from my nose. I would have gone cross-eyed if I had tried to keep track of it, but I kept my eyes locked on hers. "We're your friends, and it's our job to tell you not to do stupid things."

I blinked, quirking a brow skeptically. She was boisterous yes, and perhaps a bit eccentric, but she'd never been quite this rude before.

"Stupid things? Care to clarify?" Her arm faltered, and Hitomi stepped in with a sympathetic smile.

"You missed two days of school this month," she reminded me gently, and I narrowed my eyes. "You've _never_ missed a day. Then you left all your schoolwork here, and now you're fighting, and getting hurt. We're just worried you might be falling into a pattern."

I fixed her with a frown, searching her eyes for any sign of deception. I found none, and I was unsure if that was reassuring or irritating.

"They were minor setbacks. Situations arose that couldn't be ignored." They traded concerned glances, and I clenched my teeth.

"Hotaru, is something going on at home?" Hitomi prodded carefully. I scoffed, but Asako took my hand with a confident smile.

"Whatever it is, we can help." I jerked my hand away instinctively and the girl's brown eyes widened in panic. I shook my head at them both, pushing my chair back to rise from my seat.

"There is nothing for you to worry about. This conversation is over," I said with finality, walking around them towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Asako asked, and the teacher looked up from his desk curiously.

"Kuwabara-San, is something the matter?"

"I am going to see the nurse," I announced as I opened the classroom door. The teacher said something else, presumably about a hall pass, but the door shut, cutting him off mid-sentence. I sped down the hallway, my face tightly pinched with barely concealed irritation. What was it about them today, I wonder. They've never been quite so intrusive before, and to question my home life? Audacious. Nosy and irritating. They were getting far too close, they were actually starting to think of me as their friend. The question was, should I feed into that delusion or distance myself? There were merits to both.

By playing along, I limit the time I have to spend on Kazuma and Yusuke. My time and energy was further divided when I added Botan to my list, and again when Kurama came into the picture. At this point, I could cut back the work I was putting into Botan. The fox demon was much more valuable, able to slip in and out of Spirit World to gather information that Botan would either not be privy to, or would not divulge. That, coupled with his status as both a fighter and a strategist, placed him at a significantly higher priority. Also, not that it had _that_ much effect on my reasoning, I liked him better.

My efforts towards Kazuma had been lacking as of late, most likely due to the frighteningly real connection that Yusuke had managed to facilitate. I wasn't sure how that could be helped just yet, as Yusuke and Spirit World were occupying a large portion of my thoughts. Perhaps I could set aside some time and go see a film with Kazuma, or treat him and his boys to a day on the town, or at the beach. Something like that to remind them all that I still exist. Not that those boys really needed reminding, they were very loyal to my brother. Threats were hardly necessary.

I simply didn't have the time to accommodate more friendships, especially if there was nothing more to be gained from the union. Unfortunately for Asako and Hitomi, they had nothing that interested me.

I nearly bumped into someone, and that someone let out a quiet yelp as they stumbled back. I blinked at the surprised face of Yukimura, whose open mouth curved into a sweet smile upon realizing who she was with. And then, there was _this_ girl.

"Hotaru-Chan! Are you going to see Yusuke too? For work stuff, right?" I looked behind her, then down at the flight of stairs I was currently on. It seemed my feet had decided to take me up to the roof, something I hadn't exactly anticipated. Usually I was on a default route to the vents or the restroom. The idea that I could have been compelled to come here, where Yusuke was, crossed my mind briefly before I dismissed it.

"Something like that. How... ah, how are you feeling, Yukimura?" I cringed internally at the awkward phrasing, but she didn't seem to mind that. She only looked bemused, cocking her head in a very birdlike manner.

"I'm perfectly fine, why do you ask?" I gave her a calm, reassuring smile, my hands clasped innocently in front of my skirt.

"No particular reason. I just want to make sure everything was alright... after our conversation yesterday." Thankfully, that had come to mind almost immediately, and her face reflected understanding, then gratitude.

"Oh honestly Hotaru-Chan, I was just being silly! Yusuke's promised to be more open about these things with me, though I understand there are going to be things you two can't talk about. I really do appreciate your help." She looked down then, almost shyly. "I was really worried I might be losing my best friend, but now that I know what's going on, at least somewhat, I feel a lot better about it. Maybe Yusuke can even make a career out of whatever he's doing!"

I gave a small laugh, stepping out of her way as a clear, polite indication of dismissal.

"Maybe, who knows? I'll tell you, he's very good at what he does." Perhaps Botan and I should come up with some fake organization and credentials, just in case the girl started to dig in too deep and got suspicious. If she was continuing to take an interest in Yusuke's affairs like this, there could be more trouble than a simple hostage situation.

"I'm so glad to hear that," she gushed, and I worried for one moment that she might move in for a hug. She did not, thankfully, moving to descend the stairway with a cheerful wave back at me. "You two have fun, alright?"

My smile dropped the moment I turned around, my hands pushing open the door and escaping from the closed-off hallway into the open air. I didn't have to use my senses to tell where Yusuke was. Looking up, I caught sight of seafoam green cloth peeking over the edge of the platform above the doorway. A confused face peered over the side, then lightened considerably when he realized who I was.

"Hey, what's up? You skipping class now too?" A proud grin stretched over his features. "Man, I'm getting to be a really good influence on you, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, jumping up to grab the ledge and hoisting my body over the side with practiced ease. He yelped when I landed a mere inch away from his face, rolling away with a half-hearted glare.

"What are you, a monkey?"

I shrugged, moving to sit beside him.

"Sure, whatever."

I let myself fall back, my hands cushioning the back of my head as my shoulders met the concrete roofing. A sigh escaped me, the tension draining from my muscles bit by bit as I stared into the blue abyss, marked only by the clouds that occasionally passed overhead. Birdsong was scarce, covered by the cacophony of city noises that punctured the otherwise peaceful scene, but the warmth of the sun was enough to chase away the discomfort settling in my bones. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, the scent of hair gel and dollar-store cologne bringing a small smile twitching to my lips.

"Uh... so," he mumbled, and I cracked one eye open to stare up at him. He was supporting his weight on one elbow, peering down at me with uneasy concern. He looked like he was having trouble with a particularly _easy_ math problem, but the obvious answer had been eluding him for hours.

"Hm?"

"Something's up, what is it?" A frown tugged at my cheeks as I pondered this, both his question and his interest. I decided it wasn't worth bothering him with.

"I don't really understand it myself. It's difficult to put into words." He nodded, accepting that answer rather easily and dropping back down to stare up at the sky.

"That's fine, I didn't really wanna hear it anyways. You just looked... weird." And there was that involuntary smile again, back on my face despite the thoughts that plagued me.

"Well, I wouldn't have wanted to trouble your poor brain with it anyways. If I can't even understand it, I'm afraid you have basically zero chances." There was a rustle, then the sound of something moving through the air, but I didn't block the fist that slammed into my arm, letting it make contact with a chuckle.

"Oh shut up! Like I wanna hear your girl problems," he said with a snarky tone. I shook my head, still looking skyward. A small flock of birds passed overhead, their figures a stark contrast against the light background. Eight tiny, feathery bodies soared through the air, blissfully unaware of their short lifespans and vulnerability. They sang happily, completely ignorant of the everyday threats that stalked them. They could get spun up in a plane engine, attacked by a hawk, even struck by lightening. But still, they were pleasant enough company, nice to look at, innocent little things. Why should they fear, when their worlds are so high above the troubles of others.

"Hey," Yusuke interrupted that rather unusual train of thought, and I quickly shut it down in favor of turning my head to look at the boy. "You remember how we beat Hiei yesterday? You hit my attack back at him, like bouncing light off a mirror in science class."

I gave a dry laugh.

"That was incredible luck, but no less effective for it."

"It was awesome!" His wide grin might have been contagious, if I hadn't already been thinking of other things.

"It was something remarkable, yes. I've been thinking about it, actually." I sat up, and he followed suit without prompting, looking at me with a curious quirked brow. "I had a few theories, but I wanted to test them out first."

He nodded, his expression thoughtful.

"Okay, but how do we do that?" I reached for him, holding a hand out expectantly.

"Give me your arm."

His look of bewilderment turned to one of suspicion as he regarded my outstretched hand.

"Uh, why?" He asked, leaning away warily.

"I am going to attempt to cut you with my energy," I told him matter-of-factly, focusing my aura over my arm and sharpening it to a double-edged point as if to emphasize my plan. He looked understandably alarmed, crossing his arms before his chest as if to ward off some unholy being as his legs propelled him backwards- right over the side of the small section of roof. He yelped, and I stood with a sigh, walking over to the edge and looking down at his defensive form.

"Ow! What the hell, crazy!? No way!" He began to retreat clumsily, and I rushed to reassure him, hopping down to join him on the main roof. For every step he retreated, I took one to follow, chasing the dolt around the open area with the energy blade still powered up.

"Hear me out, I've thought about this quite a lot-"

"What, thought about killing me and going dark side?" he interrupted with a manic look, and my brow quirked in concern.

"No, of course not. Don't you want to find out how we defeated Hiei?" My hurried question gave him pause, and I looked at him expectantly as he visibly recalled the previous week.

"We already know why, it bounced off you and hit him." I shook my head.

"Not quite. It didn't bounce. I caught it, then redirected it. For a very brief time, I was in control of your energy." He fixed me with a look of astonishment, finally slowing down enough to let me get within a few paces of him.

"Well that's… pretty cool," he said slowly, relaxing his guarded posture. "But what does that have to do with you cutting me?"

"I was getting to that," I said, and gestured for him to come back to me. He did so, very hesitantly. "It stands to reason that if your attack does not harm me, then mine will reciprocate."

He nodded, then his face screwed up as something occurred to him.

"Makes sense I guess, but I wasn't shooting at you. I was trying to hit Hiei. What if it didn't hurt you because I wasn't aiming for you?"

"I did think of that," I admitted, and I was impressed that such a thing had crossed his mind. "Which is why I'm only inflicting a minor laceration, barely anything to worry about … Unless you're worried you can't handle it."

I put as much concern and consideration into my words as I could, knowing his foolish pride would make him rise to the bait. I was not disappointed when he sent me a powerful glare, squaring up as if to grapple me.

"You saying I'm a wimp?" he challenged, and I shrugged.

"Your words, not mine." He looked like he was going to strike me, but he just barely held himself back with a frustrated growl. He shoved his arm between us and I took his wrist firmly with my left hand.

As I lowered my luminescent arm, I could see his determination waning with each successively shorter breath. The edges of the blade hardened into a glinting translucent blade, sliding over his skin to make the first incision. We watched, myself with fascination, and him with baited breath.

The blade came away clean, leaving not a trace of a wound.

Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging dramatically.

"Phew, that wasn't so bad- _FUCKING HELL!_"

I brought my hand down again, this time with the intent of chopping off his forearm. He couldn't pull away in time, not that my grip would have allowed his escape. The glistening makeshift sword connected once more, harmlessly phasing through him as though either he or my energy was some sort of illusion. The purple hue intersected his arm, but neither seemed to displace or otherwise affect the other.

That is, until the blade itself began to shrink, my energy being sucked out of my arm forcefully.

I pulled away quickly, calling my energy back inside me. I was only slightly dismayed when I found there was not as much as before, my energy having been drained upon contact. I only let that bother me for a moment, releasing Yusuke's arm as he struggled to get away.

"_What_ the _hell_!?" he reiterated, but I ignored his ire.

"How do you feel?" I prompted, and he glowered at me fiercely.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, then paused. "Better than fine, actually. I feel… full. Like, energetic." The realization dawned on him, and I smirked.

"As well you should, you stole nearly half my spirit power." He blinked in surprise, then sniffed disdainfully, turning his nose away.

"Yeah, well, serves you right, tryin' to hack off my friggin arm like that! What were you gonna do if it actually came off, huh?" he questioned indignantly, and I feigned thought.

"Probably requisition Spirit World for a new arm, I imagine." His look of outrage brought a brief, but real smile out of me, and I took a few steps back. "Here. Now fire your Spirit Gun at me."

He gave me a strange look, cocking a brow dramatically as if to ask if I was serious. I stood waiting, my arms at my sides in open invitation, and he shrugged, squaring off against me.

"Just remember, you asked for it," he warned, not giving me time to respond as his hand formed the required shape and a bullet the size of a large watermelon. I was a little in awe of its size, certainly a larger portion of energy than the previous week. However, I didn't have much time to contemplate as it collided with my chest.

I flinched expectantly, but the ball of light only thumped lightly before a blissful warmth spread out over my body, seeming to bleed away from my heart. Immediately, I felt the energy cling to my own, replenishing it and more, and I was bursting at the seams with turbulent, excited energy.

My body felt warm and light, comfortably full yet exploding with pure power. The energy was no longer Yusuke's I could feel, but it had completely become my own, and it obeyed my every command.

"Fascinating," I said a little breathlessly, glancing over at a gaping Yusuke. His arms faltered slightly as he looked me up and down in astonishment.

"What the hell, I gave it everything I had!" His amazement was short-lived as he realized our situations. "Hey! Give me my energy back!"

Feeling impish, I gave him a sedated grin.

"I think I'll keep it, thank you. I'm sure I'll put it to better use-" He lunged at me and I danced out of the way, being sure to keep a good three feet between us at all times. The chase lasted for a while longer than I anticipated, but I refrained from using any of the energy collected within me. He eventually caught me and I reluctantly returned his power, impressed with how long he had been able to stand without it.

It was a relaxing afternoon, almost perfect in its childish innocence. It begged for a rude interruption, and a rude interruption it received upon the arrival of Botan with our next mission.

...

"So, what does your great big ghost-buster brain say about this one?"

I paused, considering my words carefully as I beheld the spectacle before us.

The mission had been relatively simple. An unseasonable chill had brought a family of kamaitachi with it, and their whirlwinds had been popping up sporadically throughout the surrounding cities. Their pattern indicated a search grid, which I had noticed and used that pattern to predict their next location.

I was correct, as it turns out. But what the three weasels had been looking for was not what I expected. Yusuke had plenty to say on the topic.

"Hold on a second, you're telling me you guys came all the way down here to catch a _paper crane?_" The patriarch of the small family sniffed, turning his muzzle away as though Urameshi had somehow offended him. The animal looked to me instead, and his expression softened to one of almost adoration. His wife held their small pup in her sickle-paws, comforting the young demon-beast as he wailed miserably.

"My son made it, with his own two paws," the father, Hamato, bragged to me with a proud smile. "I don't think I have to tell you how _monumental_ that achievement is, considering our kinds limited dexterity. It is extremely important to our family- _priceless_! As soon as we get it back, we will leave the city."

Yusuke raised a hand to scratch his head, his look of concerned disbelief reflecting my own feelings accurately.

"Okay, we get that, but what's with all the attacks?" he asked, and Hamato pointed a sniffing snout towards the boy. "You're looking for a piece of paper that just blew away, so what do all the people have to do with it?"

"It's abnormal for your kind," I jumped in to remind him, "to attack so many people, and without even soothing the injuries after."

Kamaitachi were one of the few demonic species permitted to remain in the Human world, despite their proclivity for attacking strangers at random. It was the fact that their attacks did so little damage, and their tendency to cushion the fall of their prey and heal the wounds, which saved them from being hunted down. I found the policy to be directly conflicting with the message Spirit World was trying to send by recruiting us. Despite the relative innocence of it all, they were still in conflict with Humans, and what's more, Humans were their main source of food.

It had been explained that kamaitachi was a species native to both living realms, though both dimension's strain had evolved specifically for that world. They were technically a native species, and they constituted as part of the natural balance. They were mostly confined to the northern parts of East Asia, but they would occasionally be spotted further south.

"It is our son's duty to apply the medicine," the mother finally chimed in. She had been relatively quiet, shooting Urameshi dirty looks now and again (while regarding me with the same open smile her husband wore) as she tried to comfort her sniffling child. "A you can see, he is not feeling quite up to his usual tasks."

I gave a sympathetic smile that I did not at all feel under the mask, and leaned over to put myself more at their level.

"No, I imagine not. But you must have a reason for these attacks. Most of your victims only fell, and were never even cut. You aren't feeding on them, obviously. So that leads me to assume you are searching their persons."

Hamato gave a quick nod, dark eyes sparkling.

"Very correct, wonderful deduction! My, Spirit World certainly spared no expense with you!" I managed to turn my grimace into a charming smile. He wasn't being supercilious, and that was part of the problem. Grin and bear it, as they say.

"You see, the type of paper we used had a specific scent to it," the father continued, and I tilted my head to listen. "It's more pungent, and considerably old-smelling. We've been tracking anything that resembles that scent for many miles. Some of the Humans we come across carry the scent. Either they have come into contact with the crane, or some devious minded hooligan has stolen it!"

I blinked and took a deep, subtle breath.

"Alright… sir," I began, not entirely sure what else to call him. "Do you think you may be close to finding your paper crane?"

The kamaitachi lifted his snout, taking short, quick sniffs and jerking his head this was and that. After a few moments, he settled on a direction and used his muzzle to point.

"This is the strongest it has smelled all day. I believe the crane is through that archway, but we can't seem to pass under it."

I glanced over and suppressed a sigh.

"Sir, that's because it's a _torii_. It is warded so that demons don't enter the shrine nearby." He huffed, rearing back as though stung.

"How rude! The _torii_ back home have no such warding!"

"I'm sure that is owing to the fact that your kind is common there. Here, the warding cannot distinguish between native and non-native demons." I wasn't entirely certain of that, but it made sense, and I had the feeling I was right. In any case, it was something to tell him, and he seemed to accept my improvised explanation easily enough.

"I am certain it is beyond the gate," Hamato asserted, and I straightened. A glance at Yusuke made me grit my teeth to keep from berating him. He was barely holding together as it was, laughter easily visible in the crinkles at his eyes. His hand over his mouth did little to stifle the snorts.

"We will search the shrine, but should we not find anything, I am going to have to request that you return home," I told the weasel family, and they looked none too happy. "I understand how important this is to you, but if your son can indeed construct a paper crane, having him in your family should be reward enough. He is clearly a skilled individual, and you should be proud of him."

Those words seemed appropriate, and seemed to lift their spirits.

"Of course, having such a special boy is much more important than the crane," the mother cooed, and the pup smiled widely. "But having the proof of his achievement and superiority would be nice too."

I nodded, assuring them we would return, and bodily dragging my partner away from the family before he caused a scene. He barely lasted until they were out of sight before bursting out laughing hysterically, tears that had been collecting in his eyes now streaming down his cheeks.

"Y-you should see your face," he guffawed, and I narrowed my eyes, beginning my search of the grounds. He only laughed harder, pointing even as he doubled over. "You look so serious- over a ferrets origami!"

I rolled my eyes as this resulted in yet another round of raucous laughter, and he followed me as I walked lines over the worn pathways. Passerbys gave us a few curious looks, but no one stopped us. He jeered all the way, not even looking with his eyes so squinty from laughing.

Up the walk. Down the line right beside it. Up, and down. Up, and down.

"Hey, do you think they'll ask you to babysit? Or is it pet sit?"

I ignored him and came to a stop, staring openly at what seemed to be a crumpled piece of paper on the ground.

"Wonderful deduction, they spared no expense! Could you find my smelly paper crane?"

It had no defined shape, yet there was the hint of wings at the sides, folded precariously in uneven angles. However, there was no mistaking the rectangular base, imitating legs, which stretched into a crooked tail.

"I'm sure the little tyke is a real prodigy, at doggy daycare."

"That's the crane," I said suddenly, and I knew it to be so. The latent energy was of the same feeling as the family waiting outside, and despite it being virtually headless, the resemblance was there enough to hint at what it was, formerly. Yusuke stopped laughing long enough to regard the piece of paper with a skeptical look.

"You're serious, _that_ thing? It's just a piece of trash!" I sighed, rolling my eyes yet again for perhaps the fourteenth or fifteenth time that embarrassingly stressful day.

"That's your problem, Yusuke. You haven't got the slightest idea how to utilize your energy to sense things without extreme concentrtion, which is a damn miracle coming from you. That 'piece of trash' is positively glowing with their energy signature," I snapped, and he crossed his arms defensively.

"Well excuse me, it's not like I've had my whole life to figure out how to use some freaky powers," he spat, and I recoiled. "I mean, it's been what, a month? So I'm not an expert already, big fucking deal!"

I blinked, unable to do much more in the wake of his verbal onslaught.

"And oh by the way, who was it that found you when Hiei kidnapped you and Keiko? Yeah, that was me, remember? I managed to use it then when I actually needed it, so who cares if I can feel a little bit of energy on some stupid piece of paper or not? So yeah, you wanna try that again, asshole?"

I stood frozen, my lungs pausing for a moment. It didn't matter that I was staring at him so openly. He faced away from me, shoulders hunched. I swallowed, an uncomfortable sensation overcoming my chest, and looked away.

"I… I'm sorry," I murmured. I know he heard me, the slightest twitch in his neck indication enough. However, he didn't look at me. "Today... this _week_ has been difficult. I didn't mean to take it out on you." What else was there to say? Anything more would be seen as pandering, and quite frankly I was unsure what he wanted to hear. This neutral response, though overused, was honestly the best I could come up with, my normal creativity failing me. That alone, coupled with the knowledge that I was actually in the wrong here, only served to add further fuel to the fire currently raging in my mind. Could anything else go wrong today?

I picked up the lumpy, headless paper crane and pivoted on my heel, walking back towards the family.

"We have found the crane, the kamaitachi are waiting." I knew he hesitated, but eventually followed. I presented the weasels with the poor imitation or art with what I hoped was a sympathetic look.

"I believe this is yours, but it's taken some damage." The son's eyes lit up and he scrambled out of his mothers paws clumsily, falling over his sickles as he galloped over to me.

"My crane!" His excitement might have been contagious, had I not been focusing on multiple thoughts at once. He reached for the crumpled paper, taking it delicately in his tiny paws. "You really found it!"

"Where's the damage?" The father approached, great joy in his eyes, and I pointed sorrowfully to the front of the… creation.

"It's lost its head," I pointed out. They stopped for a moment, looking at me with confusion.

"What do you mean, the head is right there," Hamato said with a frown, and gestured towards a nub of paper, sticking out like a knob would on a tree trunk. My head listed to the side and I felt Yusuke coming up behind me.

"Ah…" I could think of little else. Hamato grinned toothily and rested his muzzle on his son's shoulder.

"It hasn't changed a bit, despite the long journey. It must be good luck!" The weasel bowed deeply, his nose brushing the grass. "We are in your debt, Spirit Detective!"

I blinked, forcing my eyes to return to their normal size. I dipped my head respectfully.

"It's supposed to look like-" Despite the odd discomfort at my own shortcomings that day, I didn't hesitate when I slammed my fist into Urameshi's gut, silencing him effectively. It had the added effect of making him bow, and also removing the remaining air from his lungs in a satisfying grunt.

"We were happy to help," I smiled, and Hamato glanced over disdainfully at the hacking Urameshi.

"You were quite a wonderful change of pace from what we're used to, but I do hope they can find you a more suitable partner. You're far too kind to be stuck with such a brainless hoodlum." I granted the kamaitachi a small nod.

"He is a better detective than he presents, I assure you." Hamato didn't seem convinced, but he only shrugged.

"Well, if you think you can handle it. Farewell, my dear!" The patriarch rose to his hind legs, forelegs lifted in an exaggerated fashion before he began to spin, the sickles slicing through the air with a metallic zing. Not for the first time during our encounter, I studied the formation of the blades, noting the curvature that closely followed the length of the arm- err, foreleg? It was an appealing design with multiple conceivable functions, though practice would be needed if I was to maintain such a shape.

It didn't take long before a small whirlwind began to form around the father. The small weasel child shouted a joyful thanks to us, leaping into the tiny vortex and disappearing from sight. The mother vanished as well, prompting the tornado to speed away down the beaten path. It passed people, normal humans who could not see the three demons, with little more effect than tossing their hair.

Their energy faded, and I sighed deeply. My shoulders sagged as exhaustion swept through me, crashing over my body like waves on the rocks.

"I'm… going home."

* * *

I did not go home.

No, instead I made my way to my scheduled meeting with Kurama at his abode. I rang the doorbell, waiting quietly and readjusting my schoolbag over my shoulder. There were textx within the brown leather satchel that I wanted Kurama's fact-checking on. Considering his age and propensity to absorb information, it was likely he knew at least a few things about the history of Demon World. Perhaps he could even fill in some of the gaps the books seemed to have. The door opened.

Kurama was _not_ the one on the other side.

"Ah..."

_~ "Perhaps when this is all over, I'll kill her myself, and where would you be then? What will you have achieved when I stand over both your rotting corpses!?" ~  
_

"Oh, hello." The voice managed to convey a sense of pleasant surprise to accompany the welcoming smile on Minamino Shiori's lovely face. "You're Kuwabara... Hotaru, right? I remember, you and another of Shuichi's friends visited me the day before I got better!"

"Y-yes, Minamino-San," I stuttered, bowing to hide my grimace. I quickly banished that memory from my mind, resolving not to think on the regrettable events that transpired at the hospital. She tittered happily, completely unaware that I had once threatened her life.

"You two must be my lucky charms! Please, come in! Shuichi mentioned you might be coming by today." She stood aside, hands folded politely in front of her.

With little alternatives, I stepped numbly over the threshold, setting the now pointless reading material on the ground right beside Kurama's schoolbag. I switched my shoes for slippers, listening as the woman closed the door behind me, cutting off my only escape with a sweet smile and a gracious gesture to enter her home proper.

"Yes, Minamino-San," I repeated, pasting on a calm smile of my own. "I've been coming by almost daily to help Shuichi-Kun, making sure he's eating properly and that the home would be ready for you to return. He didn't tell me you had already come back," I added, just a little bit louder than was necessary. I could feel Kurama's subdued energy somewhere nearby, and I wanted to make it perfectly clear that this was not acceptable.

"Otherwise," _I wouldn't have come at all._ "I would have brought a gift to welcome you home."

She smiled even wider, looking proud.

"Actually, I only just came home today. They did want to keep me for another week, but I was feeling in such good health, I checked myself out!" She laughed, leading me into the kitchen. "Shuichi, don't neglect your friend!"

Though the words were scolding, the tone was nothing short of affectionate as she beamed happily at her son. Said demon was at the counter chopping an onion when he turned a bright, sunny grin to me.

"Hotaru-Chan, I'm happy you could make it! I apologize, I got so carried away today that it simply slipped my mind to call you." That guilty look couldn't have been more false if he had painted it on like a clown mask. I could feel the veins in my temple pulsing, and my eyelid threatened to twitch. Years of practice kept these visible tells of irritation from showing, but I'm certain Kurama could feel the fluctuation in my energy, like a whip cracking over the air.

"That's alright, you were busy," I assured him with a sympathetic smile that barely masked the death-glare I so badly wanted to give him.

His simpering look as he turned away boiled my blood to the point where I felt the heat might make the vessels pop and splatter all over the freshly polished floor. Red would compliment the white tiles, but the mess wouldn't be worth it.

"Please, sit down." I did as the woman invited, pulling out my usual chair and slipping silently into the seat. Shiori sat beside me, casting a fondly exasperated look over her shoulder.

"He insists on cooking tonight, though I've tried to tell him using the kitchen appliances won't kill me," she told me, and I was glad she was looking away when I flinched. Kurama tilted his head just slightly to indicate that he had heard her comment.

"I know, Mother, but please allow me to do this for you, just for tonight. I promise you can cook any other night you wish. Besides, Hotaru-Chan has been doing most of the cooking lately- why in fact, this is one of the recipes she taught me."

The woman giggled, shaking her head as she turned back to me.

"I don't think I can thank you enough for everything you've done for my boy," she said, and I forced shyness into my expression, with a healthy dose of embarrassment.

"Ah, it was no problem, Minamino-San. Shuichi is a good friend, and I hated to see him struggling. He really was hopeless, you know," I said, casting a sly look at the back of Kurama's impossibly red head, and he turned to give me a perfectly executed mortified grimace. There was even a blush over his cheeks. I was once again struck by the impeccable quality of his masks, jealous, as I knew my own were nowhere near as convincing.

"Hotaru, you're quite cruel," he groaned, but the small smile playing around the corners of his lips indicated to the laughing Shiori that he was not truly offended. I gave a small laugh of my own and a teasing smile.

"Only when I really want to be," I said in mock warning. _Mock_ warning. His face cracked only slightly as his eyes gave a nearly imperceptible twitch, but I still caught the slip. He was well aware of my feelings on the situation, it seemed. I returned my gaze to Shiori.

"You know, he's so very different outside of school. At least, outside of school functions. He always has something on his mind, so it's really good to see him so relaxed. I'm glad he has the chance to slow down a bit," I told the woman, who nodded in agreement.

"It makes me happy too, to know that he has such good friends. He seems so much less stressed lately," she added, both of us side-eyeing the demon. He bore a look of indignance, but it was gentle and subtle, like all of his expressions.

"Ah, both of you are cruel! I'm standing right here," he complained in his smooth tenor, and both of us laughed at his expense.

"Sorry, sorry," Shiori and I chorused, then a brief, somewhat comfortable silence ensued, giving me that slight break to formulate a plan of action. There could possibly be a way for me to leave before dinner, but I would have to be careful about the execution. There was no way I could stomach an entire meal with both of them, unable to talk about anything important for however long she intended to keep me in her web. Maybe fake an illness? She might just insist I stay and take medicine... I could say that I just remembered a prior engagement. Possibly with our other friend, that could work.

"So, Kuwabara-Chan, how are you doing in school?"

Perfectly normal question, easily answered.

"Very well, I'm going to be moving up a grade soon," I told her, straightening my spine proudly. She looked genuinely happy at that announcement, congratulating me generously. "Ah, it's nothing really. I enjoy studying. I was actually hoping to have Shuichi's help with some of my work tonight, but this is better by far."

She looked almost dismayed.

"If you really wanted to study, I could take over with dinner." Kurama shot me a look, but it was unnecessary.

"No, no, it's alright. I don't really need it, I simply enjoy his company, and he makes for a much better study-partner than Yusuke," I said with a small laugh. Against my prediction, she did not latch onto that conversation opportunity, keeping a placid smile on her face.

"Your family must be very proud, I'm sure." I nodded reflexively, then paused in thought.

"Actually, I'm not sure they even know. I don't think I've brought it up yet." As I continued to think on it, I realized I was right. I had neglected to involve my father in any of the proceedings to move up a year. I had even forged his signature at one point when parent permission was required. I didn't see the sense in bothering him with something that was both inevitable and well-deserved. Perhaps I should have reconsidered.

"Don't your parents take an interest in your schooling?" Shiori asked, then her eyes widened. "Ah, I apologize. I don't mean to imply anything."

I shook my head with a comforting smile.

"It's alright, my father is just very busy with his work, so I try not to trouble him with these things." Her expression saddened somewhat, and I couldn't quite understand why. Family dynamics were still difficult.

"And your mother?" I sighed internally, knowing this might come up sooner or later. I didn't have to fake the grimace, only the sad smile that followed it was false.

"She passed three years ago. Lung cancer." Shiori looked uncomfortable, her eyes wide and regretful.

"Oh... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

I waved her concerns away casually, trying to convey my indifference.

"It's alright, it's in the past. We've all moved on." She looked startled, and I could feel Kurama shifting without looking at him. That was the wrong thing to say, I think. "We had each other, Father, my sister, my brother and myself. We managed."

"It's good that you were all there for one another," Shiori said in a comforting voice. "I think that's a natural advantage to having a large family. When Shuichi's father passed, ah... my boy was so young. He was all I had really. Keeping him out of trouble kept me occupied. It was easier to cope, somehow."

I silently willed Kurama to move again, as he had frozen upon hearing his mothers admission.

"You said you have a brother _and_ a sister?" I nodded, latching onto her question as she attempted to change the subject. "And you're close with them?"

I shrugged.

"Not very close with my sister, she is eight years older than I am. But my brother is... my world." She tilted her head in curiosity, and for the first time that visit, I gave a real smile, memories of Kazuma coming to the surface in place of those that concerned my mother. "He's only a year older than I am, but he's so much bigger. He's always been there, like a watchdog."

Shiori giggled, leaning forward with her chin resting on her palm.

"He sounds like a good brother. How is he in school?" I sighed, shaking my head in exasperation.

"Well to be blunt, he's not exactly academically inclined. My poor big brother isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer." She gave me a sympathetic look, but I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to call him family if he wasn't such a good person. He's a lot like Shuichi, actually. Very kind, and selfless, and he loves his family more than anything else."

I paused.

"Well, _almost_ anything else. I think he loves his cat even more."

This prompted the woman to laugh, a most unladylike snort coming from behind her cupped hands as she shook with mirth. Her eyes shone brightly, wide grin not contained by her delicate fingers.

"Oh, I'm sure that's not the case!"

"You haven't seen him with her. Eikichi is his little baby. I think if we let him have a camera, he'd spend all day taking pictures and showing them off to every random passerby. You wouldn't think it, with his size and his mean-mug, but he's basically a giant puppy."

That sent her into another fit of giggles, which made me wonder how often this woman socialized if silly things like this made her laugh so much. She was... abnormally receptive towards me. I had to wonder what, if anything, Kurama had told her about me. She was enjoying herself far too much.

Not only that, but by the time dinner was over, I realized I hadn't once thought about leaving after my initial plan. Shiori kept the conversations going, and it was easy to simply react and allow her to control its direction, Kurama chiming in every now and then. She steered very far away from the topic of my parents, eventually getting out of me that I had a cat, and my favored colors were pink and grey. It was inconsequential information, but she seemed to delight in even the smallest details, so I allowed her to obtain as many useless facts as she wanted.

My plans for a high school focus? Psychology. Why? I had an interest in human nature and what made people the same when everyone was so fundamentally different. Did I like all animals, or just cats? All animals seemed to like me quite a lot, but I was mostly indifferent to them. Favorite food? Anything so long as my sister didn't cook it. Sisters profession? Hair stylist, and maybe she could do something about Shuichi's abundance of hair. The hour passed incredibly quickly, and that was a disquieting thought. I'd lost track of time, and that was a dangerous thing. I shouldn't have gotten so comfortable, but Shiori made it easy to sit still and participate. She never strayed onto sensitive topics, and her questions, while fairly routine, lead somewhere that was unusual, but not in the territory of concerning.

By the time I was standing at the door being bid farewell, my smile was easier to maintain, and the kindness in her expression was easier to stand. Kurama escorted me out and, at his mothers insistence, walked me to the bus stop. That easy grin slid from my face the moment we were out of sight, my mind starting to catch up to the fatal errors I had made that evening.

"I do apologize for not alerting you to my mothers condition, Hotaru-San," Kurama began, but I held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't. I haven't got the energy to be angry with you right now."

He was quiet as we walked along, and I was aware that my steps weren't nearly as even as they could have been. I was far too spent to care, however, and simply ambled along without much purpose.

"Are you still recovering from your battle with Hiei?" His question, innocent and logical, was for some reason incredibly irritating at that moment, and I whipped my head around to glare at him.

"You and your mother both with all these questions. Don't you ever mind your own business?"

Regret immediately surged within me as he recoiled, my words practically striking him across the face with palpable vitriol. He stopped walking, staring at me in a wary confusion. I slowed to a stop, turning away from him to massage my face with both hands.

"Sorry... I'm sorry." I rubbed at my eyes, trying to squeeze the tiredness from them with pure force, but the chemicals refused to cooperate, filling my already addled brain even further. "I don't feel much like myself today. I'm so irritable. It's actually a bit worrying. First the girls at school, then Yusuke... now I'm snapping at you."

I sighed, pressing my temples to make the pounding stop. It wouldn't go away, not unless my heart stopped, and that was out of the question at the moment.

"You did seem unusually tired tonight," he said, and that did little to comfort me. "If you wish to skip our appointment tomorrow, I can promise not to do anything that would break your rules."

I cracked on eye open, turning my head to give him a sidelong glance.

"So you're saying you'll break the rules if we do meet? That's very bold of you." He smirked, and I reciprocated the look. "No, I'll still attend the meeting, but I refuse to sit through a repeat of tonight any time soon."

At that, he gave a sad smile that struck me as entirely genuine.

"I'm afraid that's my fault as well. Difficult child that I was, I took up so much of Mothers attention that I destroyed her social life. She hasn't spoken with many of her friends in years, thanks to my being so off-putting. I'm afraid she was overeager to talk with someone new."

That... made perfect sense. No wonder she was so interested in the smallest things. She was trying to get to know me... to befriend me. That's a little problematic.

"She seemed to like you well enough. I hope that doesn't deter you from visiting my home in the future." I hummed, considering this new development. Minamino Shiori was the easiest, most assured way to get into Kurama's good graces. If I were to strike up at least a superficial relationship with Shiori, it would in turn strengthen Kurama's feelings towards me. Rather like Kazumas boys, I would be considered a normal fixture in both their lives, thereby making myself essential.

It was something of a long shot. Kurama was far too intelligent to fall for any of my masks, and he wouldn't let his mother too close if he sensed I wasn't sincere. So then I would have to make it sincere, at least on surface level. That shouldn't be too difficult. I smirked to myself, already starting to feel more normal as the plans wrote themselves in my brain.

"Of course not, I'll still stop in," I assured him. "It's just been a trying week. I'm certain tomorrow will be easier."

That was what I continued to repeat in my mind. Tomorrow will be easier. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be normal. It played over and over as I silently rode the bus home. This day in particular was likely to go down as the beginning of my downfall if I didn't get my odd temper under control. I was tired, surely. Tired and still recovering, just like Kurama said.

Tomorrow will be easier.

Shizuru wasn't there when I finally got home, and I thanked whatever Kamis were dictating the world today for small mercies. There was only so much I could put up with, and it was a certainty that I would not be apologizing to Shizuru if I snapped at her.

I had barely made it to my room before there was a heavy knock on my freshly shut door. Four knocks exactly, each with the force of a two-ton sledge hammer, raining its fury down upon an unsuspecting concrete wall.

"What is it Zu?" I called, and was shocked at the stale quality of my tone. I was _very_ tired, wasn't I.

Instead of answering, Kazuma opened the door and strode through, a smug, secretive look on his usually jovial face. I was immediately suspicious, especially when I noticed that his left hand was hidden poorly behind his back, his clumsy movements putting a long white box on display. The kind of white box that most women loved to see in mens hands. However, it wasn't exactly what they would expect to see on their brothers. I sighed.

Jewelry.

"Hey! Guess what I got you today," he said in his gravelly tone. I only just stopped myself from rolling my eyes.

"A necklace."

Immediately, his jaw dropped and his eyes bugged. A smile twitched at my lips at the expression while he stuttered and yammered away incoherently.

"What!? How did you know? Did you peek, or did dad tell you?"

This time I did roll my eyes, pointing at his middle with a raised brow.

"I can see the box, I know what they look like." He pouted, then perked up again in an instant, brandishing the small white container with a great flourish.

"Well then here, Smarty Pants! Let's see what you think of this! I actually bought it a while ago, but it wasn't ready until today." A commission? That was... different. Normally he would just impulsively pluck the first 'cute' thing he saw from whatever store he happened to be passing and present it as an early birthday gift or something of that nature. I could always expect some sort of plush animal or figurine. Several of them resided in the darkest area of my bookshelf, where I didn't have to look at them unless I wanted to. Others were buried in drawers, easily visible once I opened said drawers. But he was getting smarter. I was older now, and toys simply wouldn't cut it anymore. He'd finally graduated to jewelry, the staple of every girl my age. What had his poor little brain managed to dredge up this time?

I withheld a groan, taking the box mechanically and pulling off the lid to uncover the first of likely many such offerings.

"What's the occasion?" I asked, sliding my fingers under the simple silver chain and lifting the item off the cotton pad.

"Oh, um, no occasion. I just thought you might like it." He shuffled his feet awkwardly as I examined the accessory, turning it in the light to see it from every conceivable angle.

...

...

It was hideous.

The basic metal pendant was cat-shaped, white enamel with a pink outline making up the actual image. The feline was decorated with several bows and stars, with a bright pink collar and rosy cheeks, meowing happily at me through the overload of repulsive glamor. To be honest, it was exactly what I expected, and it fit well with the theme presented by every other gift I had gotten from my brother.

"Whaddaya think?" he questioned, hie eyes wide and searching. I smiled, and it was real.

"It's wonderful, Kazuma. I adore it." The clasp was a simple lobster claw, and I clipped the abomination around my neck deftly as Kazuma drew himself to his full height, chest puffed out proudly. The pendant settled heavily over my breastbone, cold metal a foreign sensation as I realize this was the first time I had ever actually worn a necklace.

"Yeah, I knew it! I always get stuff you like!"

I looked at him for a moment, the natural crinkling of his eyelids as he grinned in satisfaction indicating that my apparent appreciation of his gift had pleased him. I like that expression. At times, I wished he would give me more gifts, just so that I could see the look on his face when I told him I liked them. Other times, I remember how terrible he actually was at giving presents, and I wish I didn't have to look at another painfully adorable plush toy again. Still, it was worth the exasperation every time, just to see him smiling like that.

... I really had been neglecting him. All my time spent with Kurama and Yusuke, while enjoyable and/or productive, was stealing opportunities away that I could never get back. I had to wonder what I had missed on the days spent gallivanting off after demons, or holed up in my room with Spirit World texts. That needed to change, and soon. I wouldn't let him slip through my fingers because I was too focused on protecting him to actually spend time with him.

What good was there in fixing myself for him if he wouldn't be there waiting for me when it was all over?

* * *

**Hey look, there's Kuwabara! I knew he was in this story somewhere! But don't worry kiddos, he'll be making a lot more appearances. Now that this arc is over, we move onto the one that cemented his character into Yu Yu Hakusho legend, and really defined exactly what kind of person he is. **

**I had some fun with the title of this chapter. Basically, it means that emotional conflict kinda screws with our heads. It's normal for Hotaru to be feeling conflicted, but it's never really gotten to quite this level before. Not that this is very bad, I think she handles it well enough. Sure, she loses her temper a bit, but that's to be expected. Shit finally got real for her last chapter. This was fun! I promise, the next chapter is actually written and isn't a sudden patchwork project.**

**Meow for now!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Happy New Year! Hope your various winter holiday celebrations were good. I got tools from my parents for Christmas, and bought myself a _Tesla_ CD. The holidays were a busy time for me, busier than I thought they would be, hence the lack of announcement about skipping a week. I didn't actually think I'd be doing much, but color me surprised. So here I am, a week and a day late.  
**

**I do hope everyone is ready for 2020, because I'm not. I'm pretty sure my brain just stayed in 2016 and never moved on. But that's whatever, and this is _Choosing Weakness_. On with the "sho."**

* * *

_Changes, time's making changes in my life._  
_Rearranging, can't seem to stop the hands of time._  
_I remember, I was so young, I was much too young to see._  
_Now I'm older, growing older, and I see things differently._  
_Oh can't you see, it's changing you and me._

_Faces, strange faces cloud my mind._  
_Empty traces, make it hard for me to find._  
_Somewhere in the distance, is there someone who awaits?_  
_For that moment I am taken over by the hands of fate._  
_Can't you see, the world is changing me._

_\- Changes- Tesla_

**Are Friends Really worth the Trouble?**

"Huh. All this seems like a pretty major crisis for mankind," Yusuke muttered, a hand cupping his chin. He looked deep in thought after receiving the latest briefing on the most recent trouble-making demon. I hadn't come up here for a new mission. I'd come to escape the necessity of speaking with the two most irritating girls in the entire school. Instead, I was met with what was easily the worst of the two options.

"Then let's go," Botan leaned forward with a smile, and I was preparing to berate her for once more letting the mission begin without giving us proper intel. Rando had murdered and stolen the techniques of ninety-nine psychics so far, but what were these techniques? What exactly was his power? The lack of information did little to endear her to me, and considering my own alternatives, she was straying close into the valley of insignificance.

"But on the other hand," Yusuke continued as though he hadn't heard her, "It means I won't be able to do anything relaxing on this three-day weekend." Botan's arms faltered and her body went dramatically limp from shock. I raised a scolding brow at Yusuke, but he paid me no mind.

The bluenette gave a muted scream of frustration, shooting to her feet to loom menacingly over the boy.

"_Mankind or vacation!?_" she screeched, and I winced at her volume.

"Well they've got the same importance to me, okay?" Yusuke yelled back at her, glaring from his seat against the wall. I pressed two fingers hard against my temple to stop the headache before it got any worse.

It didn't help.

"While morale is very important," I began, inserting myself between their heated stares, "It would be difficult to maintain without the continued existence of society as we know it. I think we can suffer giving up one or two days, don't you?"

Yusuke's fuming eyes turned to me and he crossed his arms.

"Easy for you to say, you've got nothing better to do!"

… Well he wasn't exactly wrong, but that didn't make his accusation any less irritating. I narrowed my eyes, but said nothing as Botan stomped away from us, her eyes livid. She finally breathed a sigh, turning back around with a conspiratorial gleam in her eye.

"Alright you two, perhaps I forgot to tell you. There's a super special bonus for completing this mission." I gave Yusuke a skeptical look, which he returned with perfect accuracy. As one we glanced back at Botan, whose faux innocence wasn't fooling either of us.

"What?" my partner asked suspiciously, and the ferry girl reached into the pocket inside her blouse (that is not standard issue, and I will definitely be requesting custom uniforms from Spirit World in the near future) and procured two brightly colored slips of paper, ones I could barely make out the inscription on.

"Your very own tickets to the main event for the world battle match at Tokyo Dome!"

Needless to say, that had won over Yusuke easily enough. His exuberance was contagious, even if such an event was of little interest to me. Perhaps I could give my ticket away, since it had already been purchased. Did she even buy them? I had to imagine Spirit World did whatever they pleased and disregarded as many societal rules as I did. Though scalping tickets seemed somehow too low-brow, even for them.

By the end of the school day, I had made a phone call.

* * *

A bell tingled gently as I pushed open the door to the cafe. The various aromas of pastries washed over me in a warm rush of air, carrying the slightest hint of coffee beans that hit my stomach with craving instantly.

Kurama was already here, I could feel not only his energy, but his eyes on me as I walked over to the counter. The young barista smiled at me warmly as I approached. My eyes already sought out the items on display that caught my fancy. Most of it was far too sweet for my taste, but the raspberry scones looked edible.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" the woman asked in a friendly tone. She was dressed in a gothic style to match the theme of the small room, a black choker set under a pretty face, heavily layered in dark, Victorian-style makeup. The dress itself was a dark purple with black accents, a mauve lace trim visible under the bodice.

Other employees, when I could see them, were similarly dressed. They matched the cafe's dark ambience well, the dim lighting somewhat soothing after the stressful day.

I gave the woman my order, waiting patiently while she prepared my simple cappuccino. After I paid, I made my way over to a table inhabited by just one other. His bright magenta uniform was very out of place in the carved booth, clashing horribly with the deep burgundy cushions. The booth itself was wooden, adorned with carved crosses and subtle skulls that looked weathered and ancient.

It made sense for the cafe to be a themed one, since we were so close to the city, but Kurama's choice in location struck me as slightly odd. Not that I would complain, I _was_ the one who told him to choose locale. The classical instrumental on low volume was preferable to the blasting contemporary on the radio at the moment, and the ambient lighting was quite comfortable to my eyes.

"Hotaru-San," he stood politely as I approached, allowing me to take my seat across from him before returning to his original position. His eyes were guarded despite the amicable smile, every movement carefully relaxed. "You seem in considerably better spirits today."

I nodded, beginning to tear my pastry into small, bite-sized pieces.

"The stress level hasn't been nearly as high the past few days. How is your mother settling in?" My question was met with a searching gaze, but he didn't hesitate to respond.

"Quite well. In fact, she's eager to resume working again. Thank you for allowing us time to adjust." His grateful smile then turned sly. "She is also quite adamant that I invite you to join us for dinner again over the long weekend. She seems quite taken with you."

I grimaced, not missing the choked laughter that he barely managed to hold back. My eyes narrowed, though there was no power behind the look.

"That will not be happening again, at least not this week. Yusuke and I have received a mission that will require our complete attention." His eyes widened curiously, demeanor shifting to something akin to anticipation. "We won't be available to contact for the next three days, and as such I wont be able to make our next scheduled meeting. I wanted to let you know, just in case you had any demonic crimes you needed to commit without supervision."

His reaction to my slight joke was delayed, but he gave a breathy laugh after a moment, tension bleeding from him visibly. His quirked lips lost the insincerity that tugged them into a strained smile. The sudden relaxation startled me, and I stared quizzically. His eyes sparkled warmly, almost disturbingly so. I canted my head to the side curiously, and he only waved my concern away.

"Apologies. When you cut the reprieve period short, I worried that something had come up that would be changing our arrangement." I nodded in understanding, humming my amusement and offering a wry smile.

"I can see why you would think that. While I briefly entertained the idea that you might accompany us, I know there is no possible way to convince you to part with your mother for a full three days. I only wanted to alert you to my position in the event that Yusuke and I are killed." I raised my cup to my lips now that it had sufficiently cooled, taking the first sip of my own personal jet fuel, and found it to be surprisingly rich. The cream did little to take off the bitterness, which I appreciated, and the natural coffee flavor was not so overwhelming that I would choke. It was a far cry from the home-brew I was use to, and I found my eyelids drooping slightly, responding to the wave of pleasure shooting down my spine from the contact.

"The drink seems to be to your liking," Kurama commented with a raised brow, and my hands subconsciously tightened around the mug, drawing it just a bit closer to my chest in an almost protective gesture. A mirthful smile lit up his features, but calmed quickly to a more serious countenance. "You speak of your own potential death so casually. If I may inquire as to the mission at hand?"

I nodded, setting down my cup and beginning my assault on the small pieces of scone in a businesslike manner.

"There is a tournament to be held starting tomorrow, by an elderly psychic named Genkai. This tournament is to decide who will become her student and undertake the training to receive the ability to perform her famed Spirit Wave." Kuramas brows disappeared into his bangs and he nodded slowly.

"Yes, I've heard of this woman. She was once considered something of a boogeyman to many select groups of demons. These demons have of course been all but eradicated. I can see why this tournament might be of interest to the Spirit World. If their own detectives obtain the power of this Genkai, it would make them that much more formidable." I hummed, feeling victorious when my own musings were proven correct. Kurama was certainly a valuable repository of information.

"While her powers are appealing, that is not the driving motivator. We have been tasked specifically with stopping a certain person from attaining her power. It is believed a demon by the name of Rando is entering the tournament... and judging by the look on your face, I don't need to explain why this is a problem." The steely glint in the emerald eyes was immediate at the mention of Rando, and if the slight snap of power wasn't enough to give me an indication of the foxes feelings on the matter, that almost murderous look certainly was.

"Now that's a strange reaction," I said slowly, leaning forward with my elbows on the table. "What do you know about him?"

Kurama took a moment to answer, taking a mighty gulp of his noticeably tepid tea and grimacing in distaste. How long had he been waiting here?

"Rando is fairly young when compared to myself," he began in a tone that did nothing to hide his true age. "He has built something of a name for himself in select circles, most notably in the rings of thieves. He specialized in stealing the abilities of human psychics, though his method always remained a mystery. Last I knew, he had collected ninety-nine and was searching various communities for mention of a possible hundredth. Why he was so adamant about having exactly one hundred is unknown to me, but he was notoriously ruthless. Each technique he gained was displayed in full force against any and all humans nearby."

I raised a brow, angling my head skeptically.

"That hardly seems like it would invoke the reaction you just gave me. You didn't care about the humans then, so what did Rando do to _you_ specifically?" Kurama rolled his shoulders forward, leaning in to rest his chin on his knuckles contemplatively.

"He rarely involved himself with the affairs of other demons aside from seeking information, however there was one occasion he requested the services of a group of thieves. My men were meant to see him safely and quietly into the home of a particularly powerful psychic. There, he would gain the humans technique and kill him with it, liberating a certain artifact that was rather highly valued and giving it to us as payment." The fox gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw twitching with the pent up rage that threatened to spill out of his pores in toxic waves.

"He double-crossed you," I inferred, and Kurama scoffed, a menacing glint darkening his eyes at the memory.

"More than that. Upon obtaining this power, he cut them all down and left without a trace. The artifact was never there to begin with, and I lost seven men to the entire charade." I blinked, leaning away to take a slow sip of my drink and waiting for Kurama's energy to calm down. It was stifling, cracking through the air with an unchecked venom that painted the walls a dark mauve. If not for my own senses, I would not have noticed the change at all. His power meshed well with the surroundings, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had chosen this location specifically for that reason.

Eventually it came back under control. My cup and plate were empty by then, though I think I had been consuming the food very quickly. I felt incredibly lucky that he and I had never had to do battle. Not that I felt I would have lost, but my chances of winning would have been lower than I liked.

_Much_ lower.

"Not that it would matter much, since I would be dead, but could I rely on you to avenge me should we fail?" I asked innocently, as though Kurama hadn't just made me fear the future that could have been had we been enemies. He gave a humorless smile, eyes still dark.

"If I do encounter him, you can be sure of it." I nodded, accepting this compromise.

"Good enough." I waited a beat. "Is there anything else you may be able to tell me about him? The specifics of the stolen abilities perhaps?"

To my disappointment, he shook his head. The storm in his gaze abated slightly though, which was a good thing.

"Unfortunately, he kept it all very quiet. He wasn't one to revel in the spotlight, and there were never any survivors of his rampages that could describe his power. There are only hints. The only other people who ever knew the techniques were the humans who created them and their disciples, all of whom are long dead."

The two of us left shortly after, placing our respective dishes in the return bin and bidding the barista a friendly farewell. While this hadn't been the most informational of visits, I had at least gained a basic understanding of our opponent. Old, ruthless, and clever enough to trick someone like Kurama. He had ninety-nine abilities that were all unique, but completely unknown, and he wasn't one to make his presence known until the very end. Someone quiet and unassuming, but deadly.

This didn't bode well.

"I never had the opportunity to thank you for the rune you gave me," Kurama remarked suddenly as we walked, and I turned to look at him curiously. "The injury from the Shadow Sword."

I let out a small noise of comprehension, giving him a polite smile.

"Of course, it was the least I could do. How did it hold up?"

"Until the wound was completely healed. That pen of yours is quite remarkable," he praised, and I felt inclined to give in to his unspoken inquiry, fishing the smooth pink item from my skirt pocket and handing it to him for inspection.

"It's a fairly reliable tool. Offensive or Active runes pull on the ambient spirit energy in the air to power the spell. They can be fed energy, but they only last as long as they can protect themselves against the energy of that upon which they are marked. Using a rune to slow down Hiei would have lasted two minutes maximum, and the runes cannot inflict damage upon any living thing."

Trying to burn a flowering shrub had not worked. Burning a bouquet of _picked_ flowers, however, had shown no issues. As for animal testing, I was loathe to inflict any potential damage upon either of the cats, and settled for marking the arm of a sleeping student in a secluded section of the nurses office. When he had not gone up in flames, I decided that was enough proof of that limitation.

"Defensive or Passive runes," I continued as Kurama took off the cap and drew a short like across his fingertip, "work very differently. They feed off any power, even that of the individual they may have been placed upon. As they are not directly controlling the subject, the body considers them non-threatening. Healing and protective runes are passive, and while Yukimura had no energy to feed the mark I gave her, Botan's energy donation was sufficient. Your mark fed off your own power, and the efficiency of the runes makes for the greatest work at the lowest cost."

"Fascinating," he muttered, handing the tool back to me. I pocketed it with a smile.

"Glad you approve. Perhaps-"

I could have gone further into detail and explained how the energy inside the pen was specifically designed to boost any energy it came across, thereby making its power usage more efficient. I could have explained it to be a sort of energy-conscious lightbulb that burn twice as bright with only half the electricity. I might have even suggested that I could supply him with a pen like mine to make any demonic activity he decided to partake in harder for Spirit World to detect. I may have been able to facilitate an even greater dependency and establish myself as even greater of an ally. I could have done all of these things if I hadn't suddenly locked eyes with someone across the street.

"Hotaru-Chan!?"

My eyes widened slowly as the worlds began to collide, the normal and the supernatural guided together by some unknown, unseen force that had no idea I would hunt it down and slaughter it for this grievous transgression.

"Asako!" A warning hiss from Hitomi did nothing to stop the girl from bounding towards Kurama and me with a look of sheer excitement. She was a naive, foolish fawn in the sights of two predators, blissfully unaware of the sharpened and lethal claws that could be unleashed upon her at any second. She blundered into our territory without precaution, and I could only stand there in stunned silence.

"Oh wow, I never even thought about this! Why didn't you tell us you had a boyfriend?" My mind, already slowed by the events unfolding, grinded to a halt at those words.

"What?" I managed to sound somehow less intelligent than my brother in that single word. She winked at Kurama, who had the decency to look somewhat abashed as he looked bwteen me and the girl.

"He's a cutie! Were you afraid we would try to steal him?" Her face suddenly flipped from childish excitement with a hint of suggestiveness to suspicious with a dash of protectiveness. "You're not beating her up or something, are you Pretty Boy?"

"Hotaru-Chan, I'm so sorry," Hitomi, who had jetted across the street with inhuman speed, slapped a hand over the first girls mouth with a deeply embarrassed look. It probably rivaled the utter mortification that I failed to hide on my own face. "I wasn't paying close attention to her, please don't be angry."

_Kuso, kuso, kuso, kuso!_

"It's fine," I mumbled, completely unsure of what else to say. We were in public, with quite a few people staring at us in open disapproval. I couldn't become angry, so what was left for me to do?

"I can definitely see why she would miss school for you," Asako, undeterred by the hand clamped firmly over her lips, pried away the fingers and spoke around the obstruction. She looked at Kurama, her smile holding the finest touch of mischief. "I'd totally miss school for you too, just throwing that out there." Hitomi's face turned beet red as she attempted to tug her friend away (it occurred to me that I'd never heard the normally calm girl curse before today), and I imagined my face looked much the same. Movement to my right drew my attention as Kurama dropped into a generous bow.

All at once, the commotion stopped. Hitomi even relaxed her grip to stare open-mouthed when Kurama spoke, the most sincere smile, full of kind warmth and oozing charm gracing his angelic features. I could feel the magnatism of his aura, his hair seeming just a shade brighter and his skin shining with a bit more clarity. I could safely call him attractive, staring at him in much the same way as those two soon-to-be-dead girls.

"Greetings, my name is Minamino Shuichi. It's wonderful to meet friends of Hotaru's." Even his words rang with the sincerity of his friendliness, that simpering look just short of affectionate as he regarded the two girls as old friends. He hardly needed to say anything, and I could see the instantaneous change in both of them.

There was an ancient legend about kitsunes. There were many legends in fact, but only a specific genre came to mind: The tales of seduction, when a kitsune would take the form of a young, impossibly pretty woman and entrance others, either robbing or killing them. She would commit unspeakable acts in the privacy of the bedroom, draining them of their life force and moving on to her next victim. I never gave these legends much thought, as there was no sense in contemplating the nonexistent. Now I wondered if those stories had it wrong, and the kitsune was a beautiful young man, with eyes as entrancing and green as the forest from which he came.

"It's- It's nice to meet you too, Minamino-San," Hitomi stuttered out nervously, and I looked over at her blush in an incredulous daze. She seemed unable to look away from the demon, eyes bluer and more watery than I had ever seen them before. "We worried when Hotaru began to miss school... but I can see that she had little choice."

While her phrasing was odd, my irritation at her obvious attraction was even stranger. My eyes narrowed and I opened my mouth to speak, but she shook her head, flashing me an apologetic look and tugging at Asako. All at once, the aura pulled away, leaving me reeling from the sudden loss.

"I really am sorry about her," Hitomi continued, resuming her efforts to drag Asako away with renewed vigor. "We'll leave you two now." Her almost-growl finally seemed to get through to the other girl, who allowed herself to be lead away forcibly, but looked back with a mischievous grin.

"Have fun over the weekend you two, but not too much fun! Hotaru-Chan, you better tell us _everything_!" Hitomi cursed quietly once again, a new strength taking both girls down the street, Asako blowing an audacious kiss at Kurama before vanishing around the corner. I was left alone with the fox, whose smug smirk I could feel without looking at his idiotic face.

"You have some interesting friends," he drawled, and I whipped my head around with a dark glare.

"_What did you do?_" I hissed, and he had the decency to look at least a little taken aback.

"Nothing that would harm them," he replied carefully. "I only wanted you to be aware that I too am capable of such charms."

I blinked and recoiled, tilting my head.

"You too? Do you mean to say Rando can perform that technique? Is that how he convinced you to help him?"

Kurama did not respond, only giving me an unreadable stare, which I returned with question in my gaze. I waited a few beats longer, but he remained silent, assessing me with a calculating glint in his eyes.

"I see," he commented, which came nowhere close to answering my questions. I tried again.

"Was Hiei capable of this also, with his Jagan?"

Again, Kurama stared silently, but there was a hint of disbelief in the downward twitch of his lips.

"You don't..." Again, he pause, and again he did not answer my question. With a shake of his head, he turned away and resumed his trek to the train station. I followed, compelled by the troubled look on his face. "Never mind. It is only something to be wary of. There are many demon species capable of this. If Rando has the ability to charm, you at the very least will know how it feels."

My eyes narrowed, but it was clear he planned on keeping whatever was in his head secret. I chose to ignore it for the time being.

"It feels... unsettling. For the strangest moment, I actually found you attractive." My admission earned a startled noise from him, which he then covered with an amused chuckle.

"Hotaru-San, I think I should be insulted. Then again," and he placed a finger to his chin in thought. "You _did_ once call me handsome."

I blinked.

"Surely you remember, the very first night you shared a meal with me in my home? You told me you were going to have dinner with a handsome boy." His smile widened. "And my mother is _very_ taken with you, quite insistent that we continue to spend time together. Not to mention your lovely friends seem to think you and I are an item."

"They are not _friends_," I retorted with a frown, though my face was burning with every accusation. "They are ornaments. Accessories to maintain the appearance of normalcy."

"And having a boyfriend is perfectly _normal_ for someone your age," he replied with a sly grin, setting an invasive, warm hand on my shoulder. "I wonder if perhaps such a farce might not work in your favor." The teasing, mischievous glint in his eye boiled my blood to near critical levels. I slapped his hand away, pulling out of the conversation and out of his company.

"_You_ are particularly vexing, and I do _not_ have to put up with this!" I turned on my heel and headed in the complete opposite direction. It would be an hours walk as opposed to a twenty-five minute train ride, but it was well worth it.

"It's a long walk home," he called after me. "There are bound to be reprobates around every corner, considering its the weekend."

"I'm counting on it," I growled, not bothering to acknowledge him. Looking for fights now, were we? Yusuke was more of an influence than I realized.

* * *

A night of complete rest and a long, hot shower seemed to be exactly what I needed to wash the strain of the previous day out of my hair. I had gone to Kurama for information and been made an absolute fool of. While this was par for the course with the fox, it did not make the inevitable attack on my sensibilities any less irritating. I would have to be sure to keep my guard up in the future. The long weekend would give me plenty of time to strategize about my next move, though damage control was out the window. Asako and Hitomi will have spread the news of my relationship as far and wide as they could.

Irritating.

I resolved not to think about that now. Besides, perhaps Kurama was correct. I could easily use 'spending time with my boyfriend' as an excuse for unexplained absences and other such scenarios. I could even play the 'sick mother' angle to gain points for sympathy. They may decide to stay away from the topic completely, giving me the space expected of every friend.

I smirked, pulling my favorite pink sweater over my head and smoothing the fabric across the flat expanse of my chest. I would have to thank Kurama for the idea, though he would probably continue to tease me. That was an acceptable price to pay.

Breakfast, rice with _jako_, was wrapped up to be eaten on the way, while a large thermos contained a serving of coffee that was far more than my body should be permitted. The container sat atop a second set of clothes, which were wrapped protectively around my pen and rune booklet. A full water bottle was settled into its pouch, and I was just starting to fill the remaining space with snack bars.

"You seem like you're in a good mood."

I looked over my shoulder to find Shizuru gazing from the kitchen doorway, her eyes as impassive as usual. I cocked my head warily, as by my count, she was supposed to be at work prepping the salon for the early bird customers.

"I'm no different than usual," I replied, grabbing the box that my fingers just brushed against and emptying the contents into my bag.

She shrugged with a wave of her hand in my general direction.

"Yeah, but you feel lighter, somehow. It's about your little camping trip, right?"

We would be camping, yes, so it wasn't exactly a lie. Not that my father would have an aversion to my visiting a psychic temple, the name of the psychic might give him pause. If for some reason he knew the woman or anything about her tournament, he may try to forbid me to go. While that wouldn't necessarily stop me, it would cause unnecessary conflict that I did not have the time or inclination to deal with. So, camping trip it was.

"I am looking forward to it, yes," I told her. She gave a bark of laughter, looking down at the gold watch on her wrist.

"I'll bet, you don't usually get up on the weekends this early. It's not even seven yet!" She gave a friendly smile that did not reach her eyes. "You'll be happy to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yeah? Spend time in nature, get your hands dirty."

That was more accurate than she could possibly know.

"... Yes," I responded, waiting for her to get to the point. She glanced around nonchalantly, as if trying to find the next topic of conversation.

"Who did you say you were going with?"

"I didn't."

Her stare hardened, and I contemplated trying to shove past her. However, her height and the fact that I was weighted by my bag left little other choice but to humor her. I sighed with a frown.

"Two friends from school."

"Which two? Those girls in your class?" I subdued a growl of irritation, turning my eyes back to the pantry, emptying a second box into the limited bag space.

"No, they are a grade above me." She paused, then a look of understanding crossed her features.

"The friend with the mother?" Then, she frowned. "Isn't that a boy?"

"I am not going with him," I told her slowly, and with all the patience I had left. There was very little to speak of. "Must you be so inquisitive?"

She frowned, leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, you haven't given us much to go on, and by the looks of it you're going to feed the entire school." I rolled my eyes, pulling the strings of my bag as tightly as they would go.

"I'm fairly certain neither of them will have the foresight to bring their own food. They're not exactly adept at planning ahead." She shrugged with a knowing look.

"Yeah, well, you _would_ have friends like that," she muttered, and I barely stopped the question from leaving my lips. Instead, I pursed my lips and shouldered the bag, walking past her through the doorway. She didn't try to stop me, only calling after me as I reached the front door.

"Are you going to call?"

"Probably not, there won't be a phone." Without another word, I shut the door behind me.

The morning was slightly chilled in the way only early autumn could be. It was dry, but still with the biting wind that slowly killed the trees over a span of weeks, taking lives in a stunning array of colors meant to disarm your senses and make you forget that winter was soon to come. The day would warm up of course, but not by much.

I glanced up for a moment, my eyes landing on the balcony beside my own. All three upstairs bedrooms had one. It was one of the things that convinced my mother to go through with the purchase. The unique qualities the house possessed said something about the family that lived there, I imagine. Strange and unorthodox, appearing as though it may fall apart at any moment, but as far as support went, very structurally sound.

At the very least, some of us could rely on others, even if I could only rely on one.

_This particular book I had tucked under my arm, Demon Attacks on Humans, had nearly ten chapters on Rando alone, as well as sections where it was speculated he was the perpetrator, but not confirmed. There were over 100 techniques listed that he could have potentially stolen. Even though his confirmed number was ninety-nine, Spirit World was unsure exactly which out of these were actually Rando's kills. As good as I am, there was no way I would remember all of them, and Yusuke wouldn't be much help in that instance._

_I settled for memorizing some of the more dangerous ones, but none of them were described in great detail. The masters had clearly kept their powers close to their chest until passing them on, and not even Spirit World's vast library could help. Some of these I wouldn't mind learning myself. It was a shame we would have to kill him without extracting the techniques. Perhaps we could simply capture him like we did with our last target._

_Either way, we would find out tomorrow._

_I leaned away from my desk, lacing my fingers behind my head and staring contemplatively up at the ceiling. Scenarios flashed through my head, each of them involving a different technique listed in the book. The odds of Rando actually using these were… let's say relatively low. They were dangerous, but sounded flashy. In an event such as this, he wouldn't want to stand out too much, unless he was particularly flamboyant._

_A shuffling sound outside my door drew my attention, and I snapped the cover on the book shut, turning my chair around to face the door. It slowly opened, and two dark eyes set in an angular face peered through the crack._

_"Do you have some aversion to knocking?" I asked him, sighing internally in relief. He opened the door fully and I sat up in alarm. "Kazuma, what happened?"_

_His face, while not a mess of bruises, sported a black eye and a particularly nasty split lip that was bleeding profusely. The napkin he clutched to his face was collecting blood from his nose and lip, and the area around his eye was already swollen and purple. His healing factor had increased with his spirit power, I noted, and I was glad for it._

_"Yusuke?" I asked, gesturing for him to come inside while I fetched the medkit from under my desk._

_To my surprise, he shook his head, and I tilted my head slightly at his distracted countenance. He didn't seem to be listening to me at all, moving almost numbly to sit on my bed. I pulled out the antiseptic and a small wipe, rolling over the floor and getting to work mopping up the blood on his face._

_"You're beaten this badly and Yusuke isn't the culprit. I'm almost afraid to ask who it was." Afraid wasn't the right word, but it was the most normal reaction I could think of._

_"Just some punks from Mushiyori thinking they can take on a new city," he explained nonchalantly, and I frowned, pulling away just a touch._

_"Simple thugs did this?" That didn't sound right. He shrugged._

_"I wasn't really focusing, it was my fault. It's just, I keep seeing…" He paused, seeming to rethink his statement, then shook his head rapidly, causing me to smear blood over his cheek. "Nevermind, I bother you enough with that stuff."_

_"Stuff. You mean your psychic ability," I inferred, cleaning up the smudge of red. He hesitated, then nodded an affirmative. "It's causing distractions for you now?" Another nod._

_"All the time. It's not just at night anymore, it's like they're everywhere now!" I gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat._

_"They've always been there, you just haven't seen them." I squeezed a little ointment onto my index finger, applying it to the split on his lip. It wouldn't cover too much area, as the gap in the flesh disappeared over the curve of his bottom lip. He would heal quickly, in any case._

_"I know," he said quietly. "You always have to look at them. I didn't realize how hard it was."_

_"You'll get use to it," I told him, checking his nose for any breaks. It seemed he was lucky enough not to have any fractures this time around._

_"I don't plan on it. I'm gonna go see someone about it tomorrow." I raised a brow, allowing a slip of a smile to curl my lips._

_"A psychic doctor?" I asked, and he shrugged._

_"Something like that. I just hope she can help. I really don't wanna end up like-"_

_He jerked away from my hands, eyes wide as the terrifyingly false smile on his face, re-opening his lip._

_"Well hey! Thanks for all the help sis, but I got- homework and stuff, you know?" Laughter bubbled uncontrollably in his throat, cutting off abruptly as he disappeared back the way he came. As suddenly as he appeared, our interaction was over. The whiplash had my head reeling for a moment._

_I concluded that he must have forgotten something with one of his boys. His skittish behavior and the way he cut off abruptly left little room for speculation. I could only wonder what he would have said._

* * *

"I hate hiking," Yusuke grumbled for the… I had lost count, to be perfectly honest. He trudged on ahead of me in his jeans and bright green jacket, shoulders hunched as we ascended the seemingly endless flight of stairs. It was a clear day, the wind moderate despite the altitude and the lingering chill. The copious trees likely helped on that front, but I still donned my own light pink sweater over dark jeans and a grey shirt.

There were eyes on us as we climbed, peering from the wall of trees in an almost cartoonish fashion. Animal eyes, of course, but also something more sentient. The mountain itself had an ancient feeling to it, one I normally associate with shrines that contain powerful wards. The feeling of being watched increased steadily as we climbed higher and higher.

"Really? Why didn't you say so?" I muttered, but Yusuke's ears chose that moment to be particularly sharp. He turned to look over his shoulder with a glare.

"Oh shut up, you hippy. Not everyone is as crazy about the woods as you, freak." I hummed and gave him a sweet smile.

"If one can't appreciate fresh air and sunlight, they are a miserable soul." He rolled his eyes at my mother's favorite adage, mimicking me under his breath.

"Right, so what does your inner grandma have to say about appreciating wildlife? I thought we weren't supposed to touch wild animals." I raised a brow, then put a hand to my shoulder to stroke the feathers of the bird nestled in the crook of my neck.

"I think it hardly applies if the animal is the one to initiate contact."

The small creature had chosen me as a perch no more than an hour into our journey, and had stayed nearby for quite a while. It hadn't been too terrible of a nuisance, so I allowed it to stay. It hadn't begun to nest, but I'd caught it falling asleep once or twice already. The bird behaving so comfortably eased my worry of our surroundings.

It was my canary in the coal mine. If danger was near, the bird would alert me.

"Well aren't you special," Yusuke sneered teasingly. "Why do they like you so much anyways?"

I shrugged, said: "I've never figured that out. It comes in handy sometimes though," like when I requested the fish consume as much of Akashi as they could to hide whatever evidence I may have left. Or when the arsonist was devoured by the wolves.

I raised a hand to once more pet the soft feathers, and the bird fluttered onto my index finger. I raised a brow at it, and it cocked its little head in response.

Aesthetically, it was a pretty animal, with an off-white to grey base and colorful markings along its head and wings. The beak was black, fading into a mask, and a red stripe ran along its crest. The wings were fading teal to a blue-green, reflective patches on the joints, and the underside up to the chest was painted with a generous swath of red.

A fairy pitta, also called the 'eight colored bird'. It was endangered, another reason I had decided to keep it with me. It was safer where it was, at least for the time being.

It chittered to me happily as we walked, and I could feel the pressure of the forest growing. It was almost unbearable.

"So what happens when we win?" Yusuke's question caught me off guard, and I didn't answer right away. I placed the pitta back on its perch on the strap of my overnight bag with a soft pat, then regarded my companion with a questioning stare.

"I will stay with Genkai and learn her technique." He stopped suddenly, whipping around with a look of indignance. His own satchel slipped off his shoulder and dragged his hand down, dropping to the ground with a thud.

"Why do _you_ get the cool power, huh? What if I win?" I scoffed.

"You won't. Even if you did, there is work involved in learning things like this. Work you are too lazy to do." His frown deepened to a glare and he crossed his arms.

"You saying I can't do it?"

I blinked.

"Well, yes."

He grinned, baring his teeth in a faux snarl.

"Oh,_ it is on_!" He marched back down the few steps, poking my shoulder roughly, causing the bird to squeak indignantly. "You just wait, I'm gonna kick your ass when we get up there." I took a step to the side, looking him up and down as I tried to identify this sudden change in motives. I realized then that I had, quite unintentionally, issued a challenge much like I had the previous day. I scolded myself for the error and attempted to rectify it.

"You didn't even want to come along in the first place, let alone spend time training. Botan had to _bribe_ you, remember?" He waved me away, crossing his arms behind his head in a mock relaxed position as he resumed his ascent.

"Yeah well, you shouldn't have said I couldn't do it!" Indignance welled up inside me, and I jogged up the steps after him.

"I was not challenging you, I was merely speaking my mind. You want to rob me of valuable knowledge just out of spite?" I asked, incredulous. He grinned maniacally, cackling with wild abandon. I was suddenly reminded of an American film, with a green witch on a broomstick, and a little red-haired girl.

"Yeah, basically!" I clenched my teeth, feeling my eyes narrow to slits, and I considered kicking his body back down the staircase. But then, an idea occurred to me. I cleared my expression quickly, darting to block his path with my hands planted firmly on my hips.

"How about this," I tell him, and he looked at me suspiciously. "If both of us are finalists, the power goes to the one who defeats Rando."

It was simple. All I had to do was stop Yusuke from engaging with the demon. That, or I could eliminate Yusuke from the competition myself. Non-lethally, of course, simply disqualifying him should suffice.

He feigned thinking for a moment, then stuck out his hand with a cocky smirk.

"Deal! I can't wait to see you choke on your self-importance!"

I took his hand with a saccharine smile. "And I can't wait until you're tripping over your own incompetence."

The idiot really was rubbing off on me. The idea of finally finding out which of us was stronger was a tempting notion, one that I found had a harder pull than the thought of knocking him from the competition early. It was an inner desire of mine to be more than I was. More than anyone else. More, most especially, than Yusuke.

"Yeah, whatever. You'll be the one tripping- all the way back down the stairs after I kick your butt!" His enthusiasm coaxed a smile from me, and it was real. But that smile, as well as his mirth, faded as we approached the next landing.

Before us on either side of the staircase stood enormous sycamore trees, a gleaming rope lashed across the air over our heads to make a sort of arch. It was an odd choice, though I'd never seen a Torii gate with protection slips. The rope glowed, I realized, from the numerous paper wards tacked to the fronds, inscriptions varying in purpose. Most of them carried enchantments specifically designed for demons, and the red wooden cloud ornaments radiated the same feeling. We were several paces away, and I could feel the energy barrier before we even breached the top of that flight. Beyond the warded rope, the green roof of the ancient temple was visible.

"Now that's a weird vibe," Yusuke commented warily, and I hummed, echoing his sentiment.

"The energy seems designed to keep demons out. It shouldn't harm us," I added, then tilted my head in thought. "In fact, it's entirely possible they stopped Rando before he could enter the tournament."

Yusuke looked over at me with a scathing expression, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he spoke.

"Yeah, these demons just hate to break rules and things by going around the 'Keep Out' signs. He probably went through the woods or something." I raised a brow, copying his countenance to the best of my ability.

"I hardly think such a renowned and experienced psychic would only ward the stairs. The barrier probably extends around the entire peak, dolt." He narrowed his eyes slightly, but otherwise didn't respond to the insult.

"Whatever, but my gut tells me he's already inside." I nodded.

"As does mine, unfortunately." We would only be too lucky for the demon to be weak enough to be repelled by these seemingly excessive wards. "We should get going."

We had lingered there for nearly a full minute, hesitating to cross the threshold. Yusuke sighed, adjusting the strings of the bag slung once again over his shoulder.

"Just pretend it doesn't exist," he muttered. I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or me, but the suggestion didn't bring me much comfort. I followed him, crossing underneath the rope. A tingle ran through me and I jolted, startled when the bird suddenly shrieked and took off forcefully from my shoulder. Both of us turned to watch it disappear into the treeline, and I felt my comfort level dropping.

The canary stopped singing, it seemed.

"Well that's worrying," he voiced and I turned to him with a frown.

"It really doesn't bode well when the animals are frightened of this place," I said in agreement, looking back up at the rustic, peaceful-looking temple. It's colors were somewhat dulled, the wood weathered, but there were no signs of decay or mistreatment. The forest too seemed completely untouched by human hands, yet was impeccably neat and orderly, as though trees and grass didn't dare to become unruly in the face of the monument.

Still, once inside the barrier, the power the mountain seemed to possess only amplified. Something powerful resided here. Someone, rather. For Genkai to have infused the land with power just by her presence, she must be a remarkable psychic. Certainly more powerful than myself or my partner, even with our energies combined.

It only made me more eager to succeed.

"Come on, we need to hurry or we'll be late." I stepped around him, moving up the stairs hastily. Due to his trudging and constant complaining, we had lost at least a half hour, and her tournament was set to start at exactly one that afternoon. It had to be very close to that time by now.

The gates were cracked open enough for several people to slip through, and the moment Yusuke and I crossed the threshold, we halted. I can only imagine his eyes were as wide as mine as we took in the sight before us. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that this wouldn't be as easy as I had imagined.

"Perhaps… we should have taken the long weekend," I expressed from the corner of my mouth.

"I mean, jeez," he exclaimed quietly. "I haven't seen this many freaks since that comic book convention!"

When I say hundreds of people were crowded into the neat, barren courtyard, I do mean literal hundreds, all varying in size, distribution, and power. Even from here, I could feel some of the larger players dispersed among the crowd, though the air was so muddled with energy and the odor of many bodies in one small spot it was hard to pick out if any of them were demonic. Conversations drifted about in a rumble, singular words standing out here and there. No two words were decipherable together.

Freaks Yusuke had said, and he was correct. Not that I am one to call others out on their oddities, but many seemed to have dressed simply for occasion rather than functionality. Some were in what looked like little more than costumes, while others, the more hardened ones with the darker shadows behind their gazes, were dressed more tactically. Yet a larger population dressed like they had walked in off the streets. Some bore the strangest weaponry: claws that attached to the fingertips rather than the entire hand, a short flat staff, even paper shopping bags filled with what I assume was supplies. Most, however, came empty-handed, like the two of us, not including our overnight bags.

We drew a few stares as we passed through gaps in the crowd, and it was with slight displeasure that I noted I was the only female in attendance. Perhaps there were more, but I should have anticipated my stature at the very least would draw unwanted attention. Yusuke didn't seem to notice, too busy eavesdropping on a nearby conversation concerning the psychic, Genkai. She was more well-known than I had imagined if this many contestants had shown up.

"Well, at least we aren't late," I said to the boy, and he gave me a wry look.

"Gee, wouldn't that be a shame." I rolled my eyes.

Then I froze, the back of my neck tingling as a feeling of cold dread worked its way through my skin and into my brain. Someone was close. Someone who shouldn't be here. But who do I know that would-

"Urameshi!?"

The utterly bemused look of shock on Yusuke's face told me all I needed to know, gravelly voice aside, and it only took moments for Kazuma's eyes to find me right beside my fellow detective. My brother's face grew nearly skeletal with how pale he became.

_"RU-RU!?"_

"Kuwabara!?" Yusuke 's voice emoted complete disbelief, and we watched with mixed feelings as Kazuma forced his way through the crowd over to us. If we weren't being watched keenly before, we certainly were now.

"What the heck is going on, what are you guys doing here? I thought you were going camping with friends," my brother added, looking down at me in concern.

"A slightly skewed version of the truth," I told him with a feigned look of guilt. "Yusuke is a friend, and I do plan on spending at least one night in the forest, assuming this takes all afternoon."

Kazuma leaned away, tilting his head to the side, looking rapidly between Yusuke and myself.

"You lied to dad? Wait, assuming _what_ takes all afternoon? What are you guys up to way out here?" Yusuke shifted his footing, adjusting the straps on his bag as he frowned at my brother.

"We have good reasons, unlike some people," he hinted less than subtly, and Kazuma glared furiously, poking a finger sharply into Yusuke's chest, nearly punching a hole through the white shirt.

"You better not be trying anything funny with my sister Urameshi! I can tell when a punk like you has dirty things on the mind!" Yusuke stifled a grin, turning it into a smirk and leaning forward.

"Oh yeah? Dirty things like what? I didn't know your weirdo powers included mind-reading," he joked, and Kazuma's blanched face ran absolutely beet red in an instant. I found myself being dragged rather unceremoniously into a protective bear hug, Kazuma's large frame shielding me from the unscrupulous youth.

"You know what I mean you big stupid! My sister is off limits, you hear me?" I sighed, contemplating my route of escape. I could jab my fingers into his ribcage and painfully tickle my way out, or I could kick his shin. Both were equally optimal, but he released me before I could decide, pushing me further behind him. I allowed it, only to walk discreetly around his other side as Yusuke began speaking again, drawing the behemoth's attention.

"So what _are_ you doing here, huh?" Kazuma's nose wrinkled, as though the thought of answering was beneath him. He crossed his arms seriously, giving Yusuke a side-eyed look.

"Well since you already know about this stuff, I'll tell you." Al trace of animosity was gone, his dark eyes somber. "It seems my power to see ghosts and spooky stuff has gone up greatly in the past few weeks, and it's getting to where I can't even concentrate on my fighting, you know?"

"You were going to see _Genkai_ for that?" I asked, incredulous. The odds were astronomical. Whatever coincidences had lead to our paths crossing here, in the presence of a dangerous enemy, I made a mental note not to let them happen again.

Kazuma nodded, then looked around in annoyance. "Well I was, but look at this line! I'll never get in to see her at this rate." Yusuke and I traded looks, and I hoped he knew what I was thinking at that moment. Kazuma was a liability. He needed to leave. Now.

"Hey now, look, I agree you need therapy," Yusuke began, and I stifled a bark of laughter with a cough. "But are you sure this lady's into that? And you're right, the line is way too long! Why don't you just head on home and come back another day. We'll probably be leaving soon too, right 'Taru?"

He sent me a cheesy grin, but my brother remained oblivious to the hints.

"No way! I didn't hike all the way out here for nothing, and I'm not gonna leave you here with my sister!" He crossed his arms, not having noticed I was already in front of him again. "Master Genkai happens to be an expert at the great Spirit Orb technique. She can do just about anything with a person's spirit, and that includes turning the volume way down on mine."

"Kazuma, I don't think it works that way," I told him as gently as I could, but my efforts at being sensitive were wasted, as he completely ignored me, staring intently at Yusuke.

"Now you have to tell me what you guys are doing here." Yusuke shrugged, looking away.

"Dunno, ask your sister." Kazuma turned to me curiously. I sighed, shooting my partner a look from narrowed eyes.

"We are competing to become her student." He blinked, then to my surprise, gave me an encouraging smile.

"That's great Ru-Ru! I know you're gonna kick all these guy's butts! And if you don't, I'll just kick them for you!" His gesture warmed my cheeks. A small smile drifted onto my features, and it was real.

"As happy as I would be for your help, you can't be here right now. There is a-"

The resounding bang of a gong cut me off, along with every other voice in the courtyard. The silence descended like a thick sheet, and as one, everybody turned to face the extensive porch leading to the main building.

The large wooden doors slid open, creaking like ancient trees in the wind.

…

Naturally I am not one to make a fuss about height. I barely brush five feet myself, and my figure is easily described as twig-like. That being said, I can honestly say I've never met anyone shorter than myself who was not also much younger. Even her obvious old age should not have reduced her height, and indeed it seemed she was still standing quite straight, at approximately four feet.

"My my, quite a crowd," the elderly woman drawled sarcastically, and the smirk she wore didn't reach her ancient eyes. What I could see of her from this distance was her expression of masked disdain, and wavy, faded pink hair tumbling over her shoulders. She was dressed in traditional martial arts fashion, but unlike most of those in attendance, hers was both practical and fashionably acceptable.

The red tunic with its thick, purple trim lay over a fitted white gi, tied with a green sash at the waist, matching the fitted green pants. The top of her head was obscured by a purple formal cap, almost as ridiculously bulbous as Koenma's, and further dwarfing her.

The hushed voices broke the silence instantly, one rather loud comment piercing through them all.

"That little old hag is Genkai?" My head turned slowly, forcing as much _'why would you say that'_ into my expression as I could as I stared at Yusuke's balking face.

She didn't seem to have heard him, thankfully, gracing the congregation with a wry smile.

"Alright people, I suppose we should get things started." I took a steadying breath, the murmur around us growing louder. "The first of your screening tests will be… the drawing of lots."

As one, the gathered contestants fell to the ground.

Figuratively speaking of course, but it seemed the most likely reaction as all tension in the courtyard was immediately swept away by the absurdity of the old woman's words, leaving the gathered contestants completely unbalanced from pure astonishment. Even Yusuke, who had before been sobered by the announcement that the event was to begin, now looked at the woman with bulging eyes.

A drawing of lots as a way to determine worthiness? It hardly sounded logical. Hopefully, Luck was a power I could utilize.

"How is that a test?" Yusuke grumbled, though not quite under his breath. A few heads nodded in agreement with him.

"Everyone must draw a lot from this old jar," Genkai continued, pointing beside her where said jar sat, filled to the brim with small slips of paper. "Come now, we haven't all day."

From this distance, I could sense nothing particularly odd about the jar, nor the paper within. It was just that- an old jar. People began moving, passing the three of us to form a line of considerable length. I cast a glance back at Kazuma, who seemed just as confused and irrationally indignant as Yusuke. He wasn't here to compete.

"Well that figures," Yusuke muttered to himself. "The old bat's up and gone senile!"

I sighed, shrugging.

"Let's just get in line." I made my way with the crowd, knowing Yusuke and Kazuma followed me after a moment, and together we stood, packed closely next to one another to avoid getting too close to strangers.

"Gee sis, I think maybe you were right about this lady," Kazuma grunted quietly, and I raised a brow in question. "Maybe she can't help me."

"Hey, _I_ was the one who said that," Yusuke interrupted with a frown. "I mean, come on! What's the point of having a tournament if you're just gonna leave it up to chance? Pretty stupid of you ask me."

"Hey, young man," a gruff voice growled, and the three of us turned to behold a contestant who had just stepped in line behind us. He was older by quite a bit, with a greying beard and a shaved head, wearing attire befitting a monk. It was clearly no costume, the fabric worn and faded, but in good condition. A rosary of large wooden beads adorned his neck and he leaned on a staff.

"What?" Yusuke responded petulantly. The older man narrowed his eyes, the skin wrinkling to an even more severe degree.

"You need to show more respect here- this is no place for your delinquent peevishness! The Master Genkai is very wise, wiser than you by a mile! If she deems this as the best way to determine worth, she has her reasons, and we should respect-"

"Oh get off it _Grandpa_," my partner sneered. "Even your enlightened ass can't make this make sense and you know it!"

"Urameshi!" Kazuma gasped, giving the other a look of outrage.

"You watch your tongue brat! If you even had half the experience the Master Genkai did-"

"I'd make people fight me," the boy answered simply. The old man grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning more heavily on his staff.

"The youth these days, no respect for the wisdom of their elders. I never saw such rudeness in my day." Yusuke's fists raised to his hips, leaning too far into the man's personal space.

"When was that, the stone age- _ouch!_" Without conspiring, Kazuma and I had both struck out at Yusuke, myself planting my fist in his stomach and my brother knocking the teen over his head.

"You don't talk to old people that way, you punk!" the tallest of us said authoritatively, holding his fist threateningly. I gave the older man a shallow bow of acknowledgement.

"I apologize for my friend's behavior. His mouth continues working tirelessly despite his brain being on vacation." Yusuke sputtered indignantly, so I elbowed his ribs to make my point.

As I hoped, the old man chuckled, smiling down at me.

"Well, that's quite alright young lady, I'm glad this degenerate has someone to look out for him." I gave a squinty smile and a high laugh (we were all ignoring Yusuke's grumbling at this point) and he gazed up at Kazuma with the same kind look.

"And you, fine young lad you are, perhaps don't go around calling people old, hm?" It was teasing, but Kazuma's face reddened and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Ha ha, right. Sorry old- er! Sir? Yeah, sorry Sir!"

The man gave a breathy laugh, then looked back at me with a look of mild concern.

"I do find it strange that three young people such as yourselves would venture so far out here just for Genkai." I tilted my head and he gave a tired shrug. "Just seems odd to me. Doesn't seem like the kind of things you'd expect from kids your age."

I gave him another smile, somewhat smaller than the last.

"My brother and I take classes in our town, and Yusuke- the rude one there- has been fighting since he could walk. I think we were all just looking for a new challenge." The old man was listening intently, but he paused, squinting at the three of us suspiciously. Slowly, his eyes returned to mine.

He began to say something, but hesitated, snapping his mouth shut. He made to speak again twice before finally settling on the right topic.

"I didn't feel it before, too much energy here and all that, but you three are… different. You're strong." I blinked, not quite sure how to respond. I could feel nothing from this man, but the air was indeed thick with auras. It was nearly impossible to tell which energy was coming from who.

"Uh, what do you mean by that?" Kazuma asked, and I remembered than that he was nearly oblivious to what was going on. Hadn't I planned on getting him to leave? Thankfully, the ever impatient and straightforward Yusuke stepped in, grabbing my arm and Kazumas.

"Come _on_ guys, we're holding up the line. Leave the geezer alone." I almost reprimanded him, but the old man didn't seem to mind his rudeness, or even noticed it. Yusuke pulled us back (Kazuma hopping on one foot trying to regain his balance) to close the gap in the line that our loitering had created.

"Those are some interesting eyes you have, young lady."

I almost missed the old man's parting words as he was swallowed back up by the crowd. I frowned, wondering just how perceptive he had been in that brief time. Not that it mattered too much. Unless he brought up any suspicions to Genkai, perhaps telling her something to disqualify me- us.

He was strong enough to sense that we were not average teenage delinquents. Yet, I could feel so little from him. His power was likely in experience, which indicates that he could recognize me, or at least, recognize what I am. Even so, it shouldn't matter what he says, if anything. There were plenty of shady characters here already, many monsters in the flesh, and any one of them could be our target. Even the old man…

I was overthinking. There was nothing about him that even triggered my senses. He was not a threat.

I turned around, having already lost sight of him, and kept my focus on the jar that held my fate.

* * *

**Slow start, I know, but everything feels so fast-paced sometimes in the show. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's difficult to translate well when you're interpreting it through a different medium. You have no idea how many times I had to watch this episode to get actions, reactions and facial expressions right. I could probably recite the entire scene from memory alone. This scene, and many others.**

**Next week will be on time, or should be unless anything bad happens. If I stop updating altogether, it means my roommate finally had enough of my shit and strangled me to death. So there's that. Maybe we'll end up on national news!**

**Meow for now! **


	17. Chapter 16

**Eyyyy! Welcome back! You know, every time I go look at the stories traffic, I get a huge boost in ego. Seeing more and more people clicking on the latest installment makes me incredibly happy. I love knowing people are enjoying this enough to keep up with the updates. There's no better feeling for an author than seeing that they are reaching people and giving them something they enjoy. **

**I think the majority of us do this for fun, but there's also that little spark of joy when we see more visitors. So thanks to each and every one of you who has kept up with this so far. I hope you are enjoying my passion project as much as I am! **

**On with the "sho!"**

* * *

_Feeling like a loser, feeling like a bum,_  
_sitting on the outside observing the fun._  
_Don't get on my bad side, I can work a gun._  
_Hop into the back seat baby, I'll show you some fun._

_These people are weird in here, _  
_and they're giving me the fear._  
_Just because you know my name _  
_doesn't mean you know my game._  
_I look myself in the face and whisper, _  
_"I'm in the wrong place."_  
_Is there more to lose than gain_  
_if I go on my own again?_  
_On my own again._

_-The Outsider- Marina Diamandis_

**Ever Get the Feeling...**

As one, the three of us ascended the stairs, stopping once the old jar was finally before us.

Just as before, it was nothing special, just painted ceramic a hundred or so years old. It, like everything else, had a latent aura, no doubt a result of prolonged exposure to Genkai. She was mere paces away, and though I could not feel her power exactly, something in my gut was telling me not to cross her.

I chanced a glance, meeting her mildly curious gaze with a blank look. Her eyes narrowed marginally, but I did not look away until I felt a shove against my arm.

"Well, ladies first," Yusuke said with a cheeky smirk. "You know, odds are one of us is going home after this. Wanna bet on who it's gonna be?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes and plucking the first piece of paper my fingers came across.

"Somehow I think the odds are slightly in our favor." He gave me a questioning look, but I dismissed the unasked question with a subtle shake of my head. He seemed to accept that, reaching forward and taking his own lot. Kazuma appeared disgruntled, but took a slip anyways. It was too late to tell him, especially right in earshot of Genkai. I would just have to protect him to the best of my ability.

We turned, heading down the stairs, and I did _not_ return the gaze that burned holes into my back all the way back to the ground. We stood in a small circle, each of our attention drawn to the lot in out hand.

"Hey, so what do you mean by, 'the odds are in our favor'?" Yusuke asked now that we were in relative privacy, and I shrugged.

"It's simple, really. We cannot afford to botch this assignment. If one or both of us has been unlucky in our draw, we'll have to dispatch another contestant and steal the required lots." He raised a skeptical brow, eyes narrowing to slits as he leaned forward.

"When you say dispatch…" he didn't need to finish his query.

"Knocking them out will do," I assured him, and he nodded in approval. The line was over half depleted, those who had already drawn waiting around, some even praying. I spotted the old man a little ways away, his green obi bunched around his knees as he sat on the short stone wall below the compound. He, like many others, seemed to be praying. It wouldn't be long now before we found out who had gotten the lucky draw.

"_What the hell are you talking about!?_"

Ah, right. Kazuma. I turned to him with a stern frown, my arms crossed over my chest to add just that smallest bit of height. He gulped, blanching slightly. I debated with myself for a moment before finally deciding on the simplest explanation.

The truth.

"Yusuke and I are here on an assignment. It is our job to ensure that one person in particular does not become the student of Genkai. Should that happen, there will be catastrophic consequences resulting in mass genocide and the like." The look on his face was between vomiting and fainting, and I am unsure which was preferable. He blinked, disoriented, and I felt Yusuke nudge my arm.

"Way to go dumbass, you broke him. Maybe go with something not so big next time." I rolled my eyes, and Kazuma seemed to recover moments later.

"On… on an assignment from who?" my brother asked, and I shook my head.

"That's not im-"

"So you remember how I died and came back to life?" Yusuke interrupted me, and I was too surprised to be annoyed. Botan and Koenma had been unhappy enough that he had divulged everything to _me_ upon our first meeting. I could only imagine what they would think after he would tell Kazuma also. I suppose that this was inevitable, given the circumstances. In the end, it didn't matter what Spirit World would think. As Yusuke so aptly said long ago, they weren't here to do their own work, so they had no say in how we did our job.

Just then, a vein twitched somewhere on the back of my neck. I could feel eyes on us, invading directly after the words left my partners mouth. I turned discreetly as though to rub my shoulder, but could see no one who was not looking at their lot, or at the old jar as they waited for their turn.

"Uh, yeah?" Kazuma nodded slowly, responding to Yusuke's question.

"Keep your voice down, Yusuke," I cautioned in a low murmur. "We are being observed."

"Huh?" He glanced down at me alarmed, then made no secret of looking around, his head swinging ever which way like a rabid dog. I almost rolled my eyes, but instead placed a hand on his arm to draw his attention back to me. "Where are they? I don't see them."

"Neither do I, but I can feel them. Explain, but quietly." At this point, it didn't matter if Koenma would be unhappy. I would not have my brother living in ignorance while a threat loomed. Yusuke nodded and continued, but at a much more preferable volume.

"Okay, well thing is, I only came back because the Spirit World didn't have a place for me, and they thought I deserved another chance. Now that I'm back, I gotta do some work for them because… I dunno. Because." He nodded with finality, and Kazuma blinked incredulously at the two of us. "We're here to stop a monster disguised as a person."

"You guys are totally serious, huh?" My brother asked in a very un-question-like tone.

"As a heart attack," Yusuke responded, and I nodded. The eyes on me became more intense, and I grit my teeth.

"We were not supposed to tell others about our work," I said with a slightly scolding tone, and Yusuke looked away with a shrug. "However, it would be unavoidable at this point, considering the situation you blundered into. I would eventually have told you under better circumstances." If only to have help covering for my disappearances and late nights.

To my surprise, my brother nodded, the disturbed look on his face growing less severe.

"Well, if you say so. I'm not so sure I feel good about my little sister doing crazy stuff like this." I hummed, the corner of my mouth twitching in a genuine way.

"It will be quite alright. This isn't our first assignment against a dangerous enemy," I said, meaning to reassure him. However, it only seemed to worry him more.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked with a frown, and I attempted to explain, counting back the days and weeks in my head, but our conversation was cut short by a very old woman speaking with surprising volume over the murmuring courtyard. The eyes vanished.

"You did that fairly well," she spoke, her tone demanding attention. Everyone looked up, ourselves included. "I'm impressed." She certainly did not sound it.

"Let's all open our lots now. If the paper inside it is red, then congratulations. You have passed the first of today's screenings." Her dry voice did little to quell the rising tension, now renewed in the face of potential failure. If anything, the apathetic tone seemed only to instill anxiety in the surrounding people.

I watched Yusuke and Kazuma as they both slowly tore open the top of their lots. Each pulling out a slip of red paper. Their expressions were mixed.

"Well lucky me, I won," Kazuma grumbled, and Yusuke gave me a shark-like grin.

"Would ya look at that, mine's the right one!" He then glanced over at my brother frowning in surprise. "Hey, you won too?"

"I didn't mean to," Kazuma whined, and I looked down at my own lot with a small frown. If that was the case, I wanted mine to be white. A simple trade would ensure that Kazuma was out of harms way. With that in mind, I quickly ripped off the top, only to pull from inside the small white envelope-

An equally scarlet slip of paper. Yusuke blinked, and my brow furrowed.

"Hey, whaddaya know. What are the odds we all three get red?" he asked, looking around. Results were mixed, and where the lot could not be seen, the faces of those holding them gave away the results easily enough. What I did notice was that, at least in our immediate vicinity, less than half of the contestants held red paper.

"Slim," I replied. The intrusive gaze returned briefly, but with no less intensity. I could feel their unhappiness at my winning before they looked away.

"Those who won, please follow me," Genkai called. "Those who lost, please _get lost_." She turned in an obvious dismissal to those who had been unlucky. All was quiet for a moment, and I was surprised that such a large congregation of fighters wouldn't be more vocal. I fully expected a fight to break out among the winners and losers.

"Hold on!"

My expectations were met as two hulking figures descended on the old woman, all but blocking her from view. It was only those two, however, and I found that strange.

"We are two of the strongest-" I didn't bother listening to their drivel, casting my senses about in the fog to discern the two fighter's threat level. It was nominal at best, despite their claims to strength.

"- see how big we are? You must give us a fair chance," one of them demanded

"The only difference with larger fighters is that they're louder when they whine," the old woman replied coldly, not at all impressed by their mountainous forms. "Can't you blockheads understand? I'm trying to save you from embarrassment!"

"I'm warning you," one growled, taking a threatening step forward, and I shifted my position so I could have a clearer view of the old woman, who stood with her arms crossed languidly behind her back.

I watched with interest as the two men squared up in response to her pointed jab, neither of them appearing to back down. If my gut was correct, she was not one to be trifled with. If it wasn't, then our job here would be simple, as her death at the hands of these men would prevent her technique being passed on to Rando.

Or to myself…

"This probably goes way beyond your comprehension boys, but please try to pay attention," she drawled, and I tensed. If I perceived my chances of obtaining her technique were in danger, I would step in. These men were nothing to me.

"If you're really ready for my training, why didn't your paper turn red?" I paused, tilting my head. Why didn't the paper _turn_ red. My thoughts were racing with the implications. All the paper was white, but the red papers indicated something special about the one who held it. It wasn't a lottery, but a real screening.

She'd eliminated over half the competitors with a literal red flag, though it was repurposed.

"I think she's asking for proof!" I didn't consider trying to defend the geriatric woman, simply watching now as the two behemoths bore down on her, their melon-sized fists careening towards her wrinkled face.

Then, I felt her power, a sturdy wave of pure warmth and obstinacy.

In a single scream riddled with energy, she cast the two men back, their bodies carried impossibly far through the air until they collided with the two large, wooden doors through which we had all entered. The ancient wood cracked, but held steady, even as the mountain men slid off and crashed unceremoniously to the ground. Their prone forms did not move an inch. I watched, wide-eyed, as the old woman turned her back with a sly smile.

"Wh-what was _that_?" Kazuma stuttered, echoing the sentiments of the others surrounding us. If any of them had any grievances with the particularly smug-looking Genkai, they now knew better than to approach her with anger. I met Yusuke's wide, doe-brown eyes, and I imagined my face looked equally as gobsmacked.

"Alright you red papers, please follow me." She turned, her pace slow and measured. Like a trickle turning into a full blown leak, the crowd began to follow, breaking off in small groups until winning contestants flowed towards the stairs. The dam had broken, apprehension replaced by wonder and no small amount of desire. However, even as the sea of bodies surged forward, Yusuke stood rooted to the spot, and I with him.

Though I was eager to get under way.

"So that's what the Spirit Wave does," he murmured, and I frowned slightly at the look of interest in his eyes. "I guess I can see why monsters would like to get their hands on it."

He lifted his arm, pulling back the sleeve to look at the demon compass. To any observer, he appeared to be checking the time as he turned the small dial to activate the device. I glanced around covertly before leaning in to see what reaction the watch had.

_CRACK! SNAP!_

I jerked back as Yusuke winced, moving his arm away as the watch, first spinning and beeping rapidly to indicate its search, suddenly began to crackle and pop. With a flash of electric energy, it exploded, smoke billowing from the shattered glass over the face. The plume of smoke disappeared almost instantly, swept away by the rush of moving bodies around us.

All at once, the gaze of the Watcher returned. This time, I didn't ignore it or even attempt to be covert. I craned my neck around with a pasted on furious glare. I just caught the gaze of the old man from the line before he looked away far too quickly. Somehow, the slightly friendly association had turned sour, right after he mentioned my eyes. Perhaps I should invest in contacts.

"So much for trusty," Yusuke muttered with a disturbed look on his face, bringing my focus back to the situation at hand- the now completely useless Demon Compass. Kazuma, who had been watching intently and had let out a yelp at the unexpected explosion, leaned close once more, looking warily at the compass.

"Looks like you bought a crappy… whatever that thing is." Yusuke frowned and shoved his sleeve down in one agitated motion.

"It's a Demon Compass," he grunted, turning a dark look towards me. "And I think it just told us what we already knew. Rando is here."

Kazuma looked to me.

"Rando? That's the monster's name?" I nodded, twitching slightly when I felt the smallest tap at the back of my head, a niggle of a warning. _Send Kazuma home_, it seemed to implore me. It was too dangerous for him here. He needed to go home, _now_.

"Zu-" I began, but I was abruptly cut off.

"Well, I guess if I can't talk to this lady the regular way, I'll just have to join this stupid contest. Besides, no way am I leaving you here to fight this thing alone," My brother added, beginning to follow the flow of the now sparse crowd. Yusuke grumbled something about my not being alone, and I was left with a few choices. Cause a scene, or wait for the crowd to disperse. Though doing the latter could result in my being late and disqualified. But I could not let him enter, not when the incessant tapping was sending me a message, one of the clearest I'd had in a long time.

If Kazuma stays, he dies.

It wasn't a premonition, we didn't have those. However, the warnings had always proven to have some truth to them. With the demon so close, it was no wonder the alarms were going off. Even if he wasn't going to die, he was in significant danger.

Incapacitating him and leaving his body somewhere was out of the question. He would only be left more vulnerable, and there was a chance we may be disqualified. All that was left to do was keep a close watch, and make sure he never encountered Rando.

* * *

Blinking red digits read out a glaring 160. Yusuke grinned pridefully at his score, the look dropping to favor one of almost-indifference the moment he turned around.

It was considerably higher than any of those that had flashed on the screen before, even higher than Kazuma's score of 129. Not, of course, that 129 was insignificant, especially compared to the majority of double digit scores. I was proud of my brother to say the least. His spirit strength was substantial despite having no training in the area. Many shouts of disbelief sounded from the gathered crowd.

Most had already gone, but waited around to presumably observe the potential competition. Yusuke's score may have made him a few enemies, which was acceptable. Their focus would be on him rather than Kazuma. And myself, if the constant staring from the old man was anything to go by. I ignored him as best as I could, but it was more difficult being the center of attention.

"Well, I guess it works fine," Yusuke muttered with faux surprise, fixing my brother with the most devilish smirk. Their teasing over with, as Kazuma had nothing to add to that except a heated glare, I snatched the glove from his hand and strapped it to my own.

The filthy, sweaty, smelly, probably bacteria-ridden glove, infested with who knows what sort of tiny insects and germs. Surely there were hand-wipes or something.

"We'll see," I returned with a manufactured smirk of my own, forcing myself to forget the way the glove was already sticking to my hand with sweat that _was not my own._

"Hey, the little girl is going next," someone voiced.

"Heh, this should be interesting."

I stood canted to the side slightly, lining up with my target. I lunged forward without a moment's hesitation, throwing all of my weight into the strike and twisting my hips for added momentum as I went. My fist collided with a satisfying thud, and the red disk slammed back onto the backboard. My narrowed eyes focused on the screen as my body regained balance, willing the numbers to exceed those that had been there previously.

155 flashed, blinking down at me almost mockingly.

I grit my teeth and a low growl escaped me. Five points. It was a pitifully small margin, but no less infuriating. Six more and I would have been satisfied, and it briefly crossed my mind to try again. I carefully schooled my features as an arm crashed down over my shoulders in a friendly, jostling embrace. I was pulled away before I could properly settle the score.

"_Ha!_ See that, I told you," Yusuke crowed at Kazuma, whose shock was quickly giving way to irritation. "We're better!"

I rolled my eyes at the juvenile display, listening instead to the opinions of the crowd, some of whom were seemingly displeased with my score.

"There's no way! She's tiny!"

"The Machine must be broken. Yeah, that's it, the greasy punk broke it!"

"Hey girl, try another one or get lost!"

Adorable. Though I suppose that made my loss a little less bitter, knowing how much I outclassed the competition. I hummed, glancing over towards the karaoke machine and wondering what would be on there. Was it all to Genkai's taste (which at this point was up for speculation) or would it be more of a variety? Perhaps something in English, if I was feeling particularly-

"You idiots shut the hell up!" I turned a wide-eyed look to Yusuke, whose victorious grin had twisted into a fierce snarl. It was not, however, directed at my brother. Both of them were looking away from each other now and towards the crowd in some twisted sense of solidarity.

"I dare any one of you to come over here and see just how broken this stupid game is, if you don't mind her breaking your face too!" I blinked in astonishment. He was defending… my honor?

"That's right!" My head whipped around. Kazuma too? "If you cowards have something to say, you say it to our faces!"

"What are you, her entourage?" someone asked, and I tilted my head.

"What are you doing?" I asked them, just the slightest bit incredulous, and Yusuke frowned, glancing down to meet my gaze.

"You're not going to just let them get away with talking like that, are you?" he asked, and I raised a brow contemplatively before settling on an appropriate response.

"Their worthless opinions won't change facts. You shouldn't let something so pathetically meaningless get to you." I quirked my lips at the end to drive a slightly more humorous point across, and it seemed to work well-enough. His arm finally lifted from my shoulders and he shrugged, flailing his hands helplessly.

"Ha, yeah, you're right! We're gonna kick all their asses anyways!" His grin returned just as quickly as it had gone, and I allowed the quirk to become a real smile for a moment. Kazuma sniffed disdainfully, crossing his arms over his chest in an imposing way.

"Still, it's not polite to talk about a lady that way," he grumbled, but I took a step forward, ghosting his arm with the lightest of touches.

"Feel like losing at janken?" I asked, and he suddenly grinned at the challenge.

"Oh, you're _on_! Let's see you beat me at that, Urameshi!" Yusuke sneered, but the curl of his lip was almost playful, not quite so malicious.

"Lead the way, Feather-Punch!"

I followed the boys, the crowd parting to let us by as we tossed our three boxing gloves into waiting hands and headed towards the janken machine, which had gradually accrued a sizeable crowd just shy of the number gathered around the first game. The moment the game became free, Kazuma was the first to dart into the seat. His wild grin became focused as he stared the screen down intently.

"Just watch this Urameshi! See if you can keep up!"

The game began. Then it ended. He had gotten a perfect 15/15 in half a minute, fist banging heavily down onto each pad correctly without a single error, and only minimal hesitation. He rose with renewed vigor and fixed my partner with a vicious, toothy smile.

"Wow, he got the high score," someone exclaimed, and my brother puffed out his chest in pride

"Oh yeah! Top that, you punk!"

Yusuke waved him away, eyes flashing with mirth as he approached the machine.

"Yeah, yeah. Just you watch!" And watch we did, from the moment he sat down. His score, when all was said and done thirty seconds later, was a meager four. Kazuma doubled over in his laughter and I cocked a brow curiously.

"I suppose now I know how to beat you in a battle of wills," I commented dryly, and my friend glared furiously at me from his sulking position on the chair, then lunged and all but dragged me into the chair next.

"Lets see you do better then, smart-ass!" I scoffed, placing both hands at the ready position.

"Alright." Just after his irate growl, the game began. My fingertips pressed the pads in the order I sensed, and I made sure to make my movements languid and almost bored, just as my face was perfectly blank. I knew the old man was watching, despite having multiple pairs of eyes on me. I did not know what he was expecting, but I held nothing back.

_Scissors, scissors, paper, rock, rock, paper, scissors, paper, paper, paper, scissors, paper, rock, paper, rock._

I pulled away as the blinking lights signaled my victory, and that Kazuma and I now shared the top spot. I turned to Yusuke, and barely withheld the smile at his fuming red face. Instead, I tilted my head, eyes innocently wide and questioning.

"Are you satisfied?" A growl escaped his lips and I dodged his hand aimed for the back of my head, slipping off the seat smoothly and moving to stand beside my brother.

"See that? Now _we're_ better," Kazuma cheered madly, pulling a very unflattering face at Yusuke. "So what if you can hit a plate harder, we've got more brains!"

The sound of the punching game ringing in a new high score cut their bickering short, and I struggled to look out over the crowd to get a view of the contestant. I was unsuccessful, but I saw Yusuke's eyes darken somewhat.

"Check it out! He scored a 175! That's even more than those two kids!"

The crowd parted somewhat for a brief moment, and the only man I could see with a boxing glove was imposingly tall and muscular, with long dark green hair. His image was swallowed up again, and I hadn't seen his face. There was our first suspect, it seemed. Though, I doubt an experienced demon like Rando would want to draw attention to himself so early in the game. He would maintain a lower profile, just powerful enough to get in, but not so much that he stands out in any particular way.

I had little time for speculation as the three of us made our way to the karaoke machine (the boys still bantering under their breaths) and began to look over the list of songs. Each selection would play for about a minute to make sure everyone in attendance had a chance to have their Spirit Growth measured. I was correct in my assumption that there was a variety, and pleased to note a few songs in English scattered here and there.

Kazuma would doubtlessly choose the one Megallica song listed. I couldn't hazard a guess as to what Yusuke might choose. Our interactions had not involved listening to music of our choice, so his tastes were a mystery to me. Not that it mattered terribly, of course.

Kazuma confidently swaggered onstage the moment his song (Megallica, of course) began to play. It skipped the nearly two-minute instrumental opening, and after four bars, Kazuma began to belt out the lyrics in harsh and broken English.

_"Say your prayers little one  
__Don't forget, my son  
__To include everyone  
__Tuck you in, warm within  
__Keep you free from sin  
__'Till the sandman he comes  
__Sleep with one eye open  
__Gripping your pillow tight."_

I winced slightly, his grating and out-of-key voice only slightly uncomfortable. I'd heard it filtering into the hallway from the shower every now and then. Though, at those times, he did not have a microphone. For his troubles, he earned a score of 57 on his growth potential. It was not as high as I would have liked, but he was certainly above many who had already sang and been subsequently sent home.

He descended from the stage, grinning ear to ear despite the offensive nature of his previous activity. He chuckled, standing aside to let Yusuke pass to the stage.

"Alright, let's see what you got," my brother challenged, and Yusuke let out a bark of laughter, stalking up to the small box to input his song of choice. No words were exchanged as he snatched the mic from the stand, causing a distorted ringing to permeate the room. Still, I had to temper my look of surprise when the first four bars of a popular, loud, American song suddenly blasted out of the tiny box. I wondered if the screeching guitar might not short out the machine.

The song was… not exactly what I expected. Then again, I didn't have very solid expectations. What was most shocking was that he _wasn't_ terrible. Each note, no matter how high, he hit with near-perfect precision, even lending the slight rasp of his former smokers lungs to make himself sound older.

_"Welcome to the jungle  
__We've got fun 'n' games  
__We got everything you want  
__Honey, we know the names  
__We are the people that can find  
__Whatever you may need  
__If you got the money, honey  
__We got your disease  
__In the jungle  
__Welcome to the jungle  
__Watch it bring you to your  
__Knees, knees  
__I wanna watch you bleed."_

His stage presence was confident and energetic, and he seemed unafraid to move appropriately to the words that came out with a clarity I would expect from one of our English teachers.

He was certainly _not_ this proficient in class, I can be sure of that. If Yukimura's failed attempts to tutor him were any indication, he was still as the primary school level in his studies. Yet, he still managed to come up with the most ridiculous and extravagant swears in English that I had ever heard from a non-native speaker, indicating that he was much more capable than he let on. Could it be, I wondered, that all the English he knew he had learned simply by listening to music?

Was he hearing the music, or was it part of him? Despite the notes not being exactly on cue, the slight syncopation only seemed to add more to the piece, personalizing it to Yusuke in a way that simply following the mathematics could not. Every jerk of his shoulders and toss of his head spoke of a close relation with the song, the gleam in his eyes nothing short of intense pleasure. I didn't care for the song itself, but his performance ended far too soon for my liking, and any further chance to analyze his cleverly hidden passion was gone.

His voice earned him a score of _86_ out of the possible one-hundred, one of the highest so far. He gave a loud hoot as he jumped from the stage, the smile on his face growing as he approached me. Fists planted on his hips, he leaned to one side and looked down with a winning grin.

"So, what do you think? Not too bad, huh?" I could do little more than offer a surprised scoff.

"I imagine you have a future in the music industry, should our current occupation fall short." My opinion was met with a confused expression.

"Whaddaya mean? I was talking about my score, _86_ is pretty good, right?" I gave him a nod and a small smile, and he chuckled. "Yeah, you don't have to say it. I'm awesome."

I rolled my eyes and started for the karaoke machine, pressing the skip button until I came to something that sounded familiar. It was one of Shizuru's favorites, blasting at full volume all during her teen years, and so it was one of the few I actually knew the words to. Four bars played as I took the microphone, relaxing my shoulders and letting my eyes fall shut to focus, as well as to resist looking out to see if I could catch the old man looking.

_"Aozameta tsuki ga higashi kara noboru wa_  
_oka no shame ni wa kosumosu ga yurete'ru._  
_me wo tojite anata no ude no naka_  
_ki wo tsukete kowaresou na kokoro._  
_Garasu no ringo-tachi._

_Ai sareru tabi ni okubyou ni naru no yo  
anata wo nakuseba karappo na sekai ne.  
yasashisa wa egao no ura ni aru  
nanimokamo sukitootte yuku wa.  
Garasu no ringo-tachi."_

My enunciation was flawless, and the melody poured from my voice box without the slightest hitch. Every note was crisp and clear, exactly on point and mathematically correct. I didn't bother with dancing or any frivolous movement, it wasn't required for the test.

The track faded out and I glanced over at the scoreboard. I barely suppressed a growl as the _82_ displayed seemed to taunt me. It was not that it was too low overall. Just that Yusuke had yet again bested me, this time by a margin of four. At the very least I had him beat when it came to his Spirit Awareness. That being said, with such small distinctions between us and considering my sensory superiority, how in the world did he manage to have the larger percentage of wins in our sparring sessions? I had only managed a handful of victories to his near dozen. It didn't make logical sense. The math just didn't add up, and that was mildly infuriating.

I made my way back over to the two, both of whom fixed me with wide smiles.

"Great job, Ru-Ru! I didn't even know you knew any songs!" Kazuma exclaimed, and I shrugged. I must have missed something about my demeanor, because Yusuke immediately leaned into my personal space with a curious frown.

"What's with the face?" He blinked, then grinned slyly. "You're just sick of me being better than you, huh! But come on, _82_'s not that bad." I narrowed my eyes, but said nothing further, prompting him to continue on his own tangent.

"And hey, the singing was pretty good too. I didn't know you had it in ya! The song was okay, not really my kind of thing." I hummed, glancing up as the next person took to the stage. We moved away to await our results, but it was clear the three of us had passed, both boys making the cut for two out of the three requirements. I was pleased to note that I had passed all three, which was an achievement in itself. A tally of scores had been kept on an electronic scoreboard, and I was among only five who had passed all three.

"It's not exactly to my taste either," I said to Yusuke, taking up my bag from the side of the room where I had left it. "I only know the lyrics from my sisters inability to shut her bedroom door."

He seemed surprised, then tilted his head in question as I rummaged through the contents of my backpack. "Whatcha got there?" I didn't respond, a knowing smirk firmly in place on my lips. Both his and my brothers eyes lit up when I produced two chocolate snack bars, both of which were snatched greedily from my hand by the likely ravenous boys. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was unknown to me if either of them had even had that much. They both put away two as I sedatedly snacked on my first, then _both_ went back for thirds. I didn't protest.

"So you like Guns 'n' Roses?" Yusuke asked around a full mouth, and I shook my head, swallowing before replying, like a civilized person.

"I don't have much of an opinion on music of any genre. It doesn't interest me." At my honest reply, he frowned, and Kazuma shrugged.

"Yeah, that's pretty normal for her. She doesn't like music and stuff, thinks it's a waste of time." He sent me a mock glare, but I could see it was in jest. "Weirdo." He bit the granola bar in half as if to make his point. I shrugged.

"So you didn't mean it when you said I was good?" Yusuke accused, visibly unhappy as he lowered his unfinished third snack to his lap. I blinked, tilting my head.

"What I said was that you could have a future as a musician, and I meant it," I told him, but he crossed his arms. That was a movement with many variations.

Crossing his arms and raising his chin was a challenge. Sticking his face out or leaning forward indicated anger that would escalate to violence. But hunched shoulders, chin tucked, hands curled into tight fists under the crooks of his elbows… he was hurt. For some reason or another, he was emotionally damaged.

"Yeah, and Kuwabara said you think it's a waste of time, which you didn't deny, by the way," he pointed out, and the hurt was audible in his voice. "So basically, you think I'd be good at doing something stupid." I blinked.

Where on Earth had _that_ come from!? I was genuinely baffled by his leaps in ill logic, and I struggled to find where the miscommunication had begun. I had given an honest compliment, yet he had taken it as an insult to his capabilities.

"I… you misunderstand, Yusuke," I said, and I hoped my honest confusion would make him stop and listen. He glared, but said nothing else. "I don't enjoy music in _any_ form, but that is not to say that I actively dislike it or think the pursuit of musical proficiency is a useless hobby. I simply don't find music to be something worthwhile for _me_ to partake in."

His glare had softened somewhat, and the beginnings of guilt crept onto his features. I pressed on, hoping to mend the gap permanently.

"It wasn't the song, but rather your performance I liked. I enjoyed watching you, regardless of the song choice. Objectively, you have decent vocal talent as well as stage presence. If you decide to pursue it, I think you could excel in a musical career. I would certainly attend your concerts." I finished with a nod, watching his reactions as they played across his face like scenes in a story. Every twitch was telling, nothing hidden on the smooth, open plains of his cheeks.

As I began to speak, a note of surprise fluttered his eyelids and parted his lips, remaining for a moment as a flicker of pleasure lifted the corners of his mouth. Then pride took over when I complimented his voice, curling his smile a bit more so that it lifted his cheeks and crinkled the edges of his eyes. Finally, it all fell away as his eyes grew wide and an embarrassed flush dusted his entire face bright pink, all the way to his ears.

It was an intriguing array of emotions, and indicated that I had been successful.

He coughed slightly, looking away. Kazuma only stared at me in open astonishment.

"But-but what about me? How did I do?" My brother asked, and I gave him a deadpan look.

"I think you should put more effort into your studies," I told him bluntly. He levelled me with a glare, which I received without complaint. If there was one thing to be sure of, it was that Kazuma should never be on the receiving end of a microphone ever again.

"Whatever," he grumbled, and his stance perfectly mimicked Yusuke's from earlier, arms crossed, shoulder hunched, chin tucked. However, this was a common position for him, and I had found that when he did so in such an exaggerated way, he was only sulking for the sake of it. He would snap out of that pose the moment the topic was changed.

"Alright now, you all did fairly well. I hope you had fun." Genkai's gravelly voice interrupted my inner monologue. Kazuma instantly straightened (my transgression was completely forgotten, which prompted a real smile from me), eyes wide and attentive, and fixed on the old woman as she stood in her crane car.

Her crane car, attached to a series of mechanics that ran along the ceiling of an arcade room in an ancient wooden temple. The incredulity had not yet worn off.

"The objective was to pass at least two out of the three tests. Your names and scores are logged in, so if you don't see yourself up here, beat it," the woman snapped, and the scoreboard changed. The usernames and pseudonyms all the winners had used (as per our initial instructions) were displayed beside the scores. The three of us, naturally, were there, capping off the number at 21 contestants remaining. Twenty-one out of several hundred, and only on the second screening. This was certainly an effective process.

The majority of the room left grumbling, heads hanging in defeat as they trudged through the mist of failure. Those that remained glanced around, eyes critical as they assessed each opponent. Out of those, I noticed the green-haired man whose score on the punching machine had bested Yusuke, the bald man who had scored a perfect one hundred on the karaoke machine, and the watchful elder who had been keeping an eye on our group the entire time we had been here.

There were several dangerous people there, that much I could feel. This would prove to be exciting.

* * *

"Now that the weak have been eliminated, the tests will be far more severe." She frowned, critical eyes raking over each and every one of us one at a time. "You twenty-one have proven yourselves to have some skills. I can only hope they will serve you well in the trials to come."

_Death. Darkness. Anger. Malice. Treachery. Fear. Blood. Death, death, death._

The forest was alive, its gaping maw held back by a fence of little more than decorated ribbons. Yet those ribbons radiated the same power as the temple gate on the stairs. They shone with the effort of keeping the evil within locked safely inside. Still, that didn't stop the forest from putting off its own warnings to all who looked upon it.

Gnarled, dark trees stretched out, clawing at the light like bling beggars, hoping its cries will lure in that which it can devour. Even the grass ceased to be green when it reached the treeline, which was thick as a brick wall. Mist cloaked the ground like a satin robe, soft and unassuming, but thick and impenetrable with eyes alone. I could sense much beyond the border of twisting trunks, many hungry eyes and gaping jaws that snapped silently.

"Hey… my insides feel all funny," one man groaned, taking a step away from the dark forest. His face was blanched and his legs knocked together. He was not alone in his terror. Several of the contestants now looked at the woods fearfully, their pallor amusingly grim.

"Master, the forest seems to have its own life force," someone near the front of the group inferred, and I couldn't help but agree.

"Yes, to say the least," Genkai responded with a malicious smirk. "It is known as the Dark Forest, and it's as old as the human race. It has become a sanctuary for the oldest and most primitive demons." I blinked in surprise, considering the practical uses for the forest. A training center, surely, but also a point of study. Oldest and most primitive demons could provide a plethora of information regarding demon evolution and basic anatomy.

"On the other side of the forest is a giant tree alone on a hill. Make it there, and you pass the test. You have two hours." It was straightforward with a simple objective. The path, however, was less than simple. I was looking forward to the challenge.

The first to leave was a dark haired young man, followed by two others who each provided their own hurried and petrified excuses. They ran, back to the compound, as though the forest might suddenly sprout legs and go chasing after them. Why would it though, when it still had eighteen perfectly viable meal options? As they fled, Genkai laughed cruelly.

"Yes, run along," she mocked with an evil smirk. "I don't blame you. Anyone with the slightest Spirit Awareness can feel this forest will tear you into pieces if you let it."

"There is some truth to what this woman says," a deep voice intoned, and I glanced back to see it was the large man with the green hair, speaking to another contestant. "Only those who have gone through the training should cross into these woods. It is no place for children, for instance."

I rolled my eyes as he met my gaze, and was content to leave it at that. But Yusuke?

"Speak for yourself! I'm not about to get scared off by a little walk through Grandma's forest!" I turned, wide eyed and incredulous, to look at my stupid friend. He either ignored me or truly had no spirit awareness whatsoever, and his score on the Janken game was purely luck.

"Watch your mouth, you dumb little brat!" Genkai barked angrily, but he had turned around to face the man instead, taking a few bold steps toward the hulking figure.

"You're just trying to scare me off with some big fancy words, but it's not gonna work! I'm not gonna back down so easy! Say, you're totally human, right?" I whipped around and took a step towards him to intercept his mouth before he completely blew our cover, but I was beaten to it by my brother.

"If you're gonna do this run, then so am I," Kazuma declared, tugging on Yusuke's shoulder to force him to turn around.

"Stop getting so excited, it's embarrassing," my partner replied dryly. "Besides, Taru's not getting scared off either, are ya?" As doe-brown eyes found me with a smirk, I offered a breathy scoff and tightened the straps of my bag.

"Of course not."

Genkai smirked.

"Well then, it seems all who remain here will go through with the task. On my command now." Yusuke and Kazuma returned to me, one on either side of me as we waited, our bodies high strung and breath baited. The tension was palpable, crashing against the ill effect of the forest in a static dance.

"Best of luck, hope you don't die… _GO!_"

The command came sharp and quick, but it seemed we were running before the word ever left her lips. I cleared the fence just as Yusuke did, passing me to head up the pack. I looked straight ahead as I ran, but I couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through me as I crossed over into the forest. The oppressive darkness and feeling of death only intensified, until it was a clean vacuum of malice, through which I could clearly sense seventeen other energies. A smirk twisted the corner of my mouth. It would be so easy to dispatch of the competition here and now, and face Rando here. However, there was no guarantee Genkai would accept me as a student if that happened. it could easily be considered cheating.

Speaking of the old woman, I felt another overwhelmingly powerful presence bearing down on us, and looked over my shoulder briefly to see her running… hopping, really, through the small herd of runners. She sped to the front, her face neutral, as though this cost her no effort.

"I'll be waiting for you at the tree," she called out, her voice carrying for miles it seemed. "If you're smart, you'll use your Spirit Awareness to find the quickest way. Goodbye!"

With that, she all but disappeared as she propelled herself down the unbeaten path. I could only look on in awe at the sheer power, speed comparable to Hiei's, if not infinitely greater. I needed her power. More than that, I _wanted_ it. The dilemma remained. Do I continue and hope the worst of the competition will be devoured by the forest, or do I take them out now, while they aren't expecting it. With Kazuma nearby, my options were limited. I glanced to my right...

And came to a dead stop.

_He wasn't there. _

"Taru, come on!" Yusuke's voice pierced through the brief panic that had set in, and my searching gaze found him slowing to a walk several paces ahead of me, just barely visible as a neon blur in the heavy mist.

"Where is my brother?" I asked, casting my senses about as I jogged to catch up to the boy. A few had dispersed, running in different directions the moment the old woman was gone. Kazuma must have been among those, and my attention being on Genkai, I completely missed him breaking off. Why hadn't he stuck with Yusuke or myself, knowing what he did about the competition? Did he forget already?

"He split off, the dumbass," Yusuke replied, jerking his thumb in a direction opposite his own. "Everyone knows the quickest way is a straight line."

I looked there, somewhat relieved to find the path did not feel nearly as stiflingly dark as the rest. Perhaps his awareness would guide him through safely, but if he encountered Rando...

My heart beat just a touch faster. If the demon had entertained the same idea as I had to eliminate those who were out of her sight, Kazuma might easily be among those at the top of the hit list. Decently strong, highly spiritually aware and extremely irritating, there was no way my brother wouldn't piss off the first person he would meet in here.

"We need to go after him," I spoke up quickly. "He shouldn't be out here alone."

"But he's going the long way," Yusuke complained, and I turned to give him a _look_.

"He's going the _smart_ way, did you not listen to Genkai? There are dangers here, obstacles. The objective is to avoid said obstacles and not waste time dealing with them." I pointed to the clearest feeling path. "Kazuma's senses are almost as acute as my own. If he went that way, that means it's the safest route."

Yusuke crossed his arms, jutting out his chin in an unmistakable challenge.

"What's the point if you waste time trying to find a way around them? Can't we just beat 'em all up like we always do?" I shook my head, turning back and extending my hands pleadingly.

"That isn't the point of the test! Your plan won't get you through on time, if you even make it to the other side at all." The moment the words came out, I regretted them. His face split into a grin that all but screamed the words _'challenge accepted.'_

"Wanna bet?" My mouth dropped open as he pivoted on his toes and disappeared into the thick treeline. The thick fog seemed to swallow his energy whole, leaving me completely alone at the starting point.

"Yusuke!" _We need to stick together!_ I took a step in his direction, then stopped, looking back at the path I had originally insisted we take. Kazuma was that way.

But Yusuke was in the complete opposite direction.

... Both these idiots left me with the worst possible choices. Where my brother would likely escape completely unscathed, he was still at risk from attackers. My partner would be able to handle himself in a fight, but would he even make it out on time? Such were the options laid before me. Yusuke or Kazuma.

...

...

_"Kuso!"_

* * *

**Hey! So, as some of you probably noticed, some things are different. If you, like myself, have the uncanny ability to remember the things you hear from TV and movies word for word, you'll definitely recognize the discrepancies. I explain it simply with this: Yusuke has been actively training with Hotaru by this point for a time span of at least two weeks by now. While he has been strengthening her constitution, she was working with him on his spirit awareness. And they've both been using their energy more, so there's more points for Yusuke's increase in strength and potential. As for the dialogue change when they were opening their lots, Yusuke no longer resents going on the mission because he's trying to prove himself better than Hotaru. This time around, he's actually happy to have drawn correctly, because she challenged him and he wants to win. **

**Maybe Yusuke might seem more motivated than he should be, but at this point, it should be clear that both the characters motivate each other, albeit in different ways. Plus, he's having fun with a (somewhat?) like-minded individual. I know I tend to get more energized when I'm around someone whose interests align with mine. Just look at my comments history on Youtube.**

**Songs utilized in here were Metallica-_Enter Sandman_ (1991), Guns N' Roses-_Welcome to the Jungle_ (1987), and Matsuda Seiko-_Glass no Ringo_ (1983). Matsuda-San is The Eternal Idol of Japan, starting her musical career in 1980 and continuing to go on as one of the most popular musicians to date. Her music has debuted in various anime and TV dramas/romances, and I highly recommend her music to anyone interested in J-Pop. I generally prefer the older music myself.**

**Hope you're all having a lovely Wednesday, and I'll see you next week! Meow for now!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Happy Wednesday! I have many regrets, but this chapter isn't one of them. The original idea/chapter here was so... cringe. Like, you know, first romance fanfic with little to no experience as a writer kinda cringe. I've fixed it up and basically changed... everything? Yeah, everything.**

**And just in case some of you wonder at the end of this chapter, no, I am not Hirohiko Araki in disguise.**

**... Well, on with the "sho."**

* * *

_Feel the breeze?  
Time's so near you can almost taste the freedom.  
There's a warm wind from the south.  
Hoist the sail and we'll be gone.  
By morning this will all seem like a dream.  
And if I don't return to sing the song,  
maybe just as well.  
I've seen the news and there's  
Not much I can do...alone._

_Is there anybody listening?  
Is there anyone who smiles without a mask?  
What's behind the words,  
images they know will please us?  
I'll take what's real. Bring up the lights._

_-Anybody Listening?- Queensryche_

**The Secret of Chin-Po the Wanderer**

I extended my senses as I crouched in the undergrowth, feeling for the safest path. The vines further in were wild, lashing out at whatever moved, and had already entangled three of the other competitors that I could see. They would not prove effective against me considering the nature of my energy, but they would indeed slow me down. Kurama might have had an advantage here, which was a thought that did not help me whatsoever. I would not be going in that direction, and I refused to give in to the possibilities presented by 'what-if' scenarios.

I could sense a path unimpeded, but following it with my senses took me winding in various loops and around obstacles. The path was long, as Yusuke had feared, yet it was the way Kazuma had gone and was likely much faster despite the length. He could safely avoid anything dangerous, I was sure. Still, it couldn't hurt to follow him, just on the off chance he was in over his head.

With a slight huff, I got to my feet and began making my way as silently as I could through the underbrush. The majority of the contestants had tried to go straight, as Yusuke had, but ended up going in completely different directions. It was simple enough to watch their struggles from afar and avoid them, or alternatively, allow them to trigger the obstacles so that I could pass.

The forest was a veritable minefield, but most of the dangers presented some form of energy I could sense, and steering clear of them proved easy, for the most part. I hadn't gotten the chance to ask if the demons here were Human World natives, or from the next world over. Depending on their origins, I may not have to expend any energy battling them. If they were half as amicable as the kamaitachi, there wouldn't be a problem.

The darkness surrounding me might have felt oppressive, and the fog may have been too thick to see through for any great distance, but I found I was not uncomfortable. Not to say that I felt at home here, or even that the place did not put me on edge. It most certainly did, and the paranoia kept my ears sharp.

It was the solitude, I think, and the lack of necessity to maintain my mask. I was alone, without the chance of anyone (no one important) seeing me. No one could pass me and wonder why I didn't smile, or greet them. It may have been cliche to say this place was liberating. I would, of course, be happy to leave it. While not uncomfortable, the silence and constant threat of danger was unsettling, and what was even more worrying was that I did not feel terribly out of place.

_People like me belong in places like this_, I mused to myself idly before banishing the useless thought. In the dark and the shadows, completely cut off. It was where I should be, but not where I would ever go willingly. Though, I wouldn't mind taking a vacation here.

_CRACK!_

I froze, dropping to a crouch in the fog. The past thirty minutes or so had been far too silent, aside from the distant sounds of suffering. Those had died out as I'd moved further away, however, and I could sense none of the other contestants.

But there was something, and that something had eyes, which were trained on me. One pair, then two, four, seven pairs of eyes, all from different directions.

I was surrounded. Whatever it was, it had no discernible energy signature to set it apart from the rest of the Dark Forest. Demons, most likely. Violet energy thrummed excitedly under my skin in wait, already organizing to take the form of a sickle. The first attack would come from the left, behind me. Slowly, subtly, I loosened the straps of my bag, letting it slide off my shoulders onto the grass behind me.

A rustle in front of me drew my attention for a moment, and what pushed through the thick leaves came as less of a surprise, and more of a relief. Despite the gleaming and dripping jowls and the hard-set murderous eyes, the large grey wolf before me gave a sense of security.

It took only a moment, as the pack sensed my attention was elsewhere, and the predicted attack came. Another larger canine threw itself from the treeline with a fierce snarl. I reacted, lashing out with my left fist and catching the wolf's side. I ducked to avoid the paws and flung the animal away from me. It crashed into the second attacker, who had come just a split second later, this time from my right. I spun, still crouched, noting the seven wolves had now formed a visible circle around me, forgoing the secrecy.

The two I had deflected shook off the blow like it was nothing, scrambling to their paws and snapping their jowls. I lifted one hand, my energy twisting and layering over my voice box rather than forming blades.

"Stop!"

The command rang with power, one that was normally reserved for my interactions with ghosts. However, it was a fair bet that these demonic creatures would heed the same feeling that the spirits required. It had worked during my initial confrontation with the kamaitachi, after all.

My theory was proven correct. The stillness that enveloped the wolves was instantaneous, and their frozen eyes bugged out as they stared unabashedly at me. I straightened slowly, hand still outstretched. They were decently large animals, their tallest reaching just below my chest. I doubt I would have been a very satisfying meal, perhaps enough for their youngest.

The wolf before me, muzzle flecked with white, took a hesitant, non-threatening step forward, its nose twitching and hackles gradually flattening out. It let out an 'uff', like a question, neck stretched out as far as it could go. It was curious, but not altogether trusting. I knew this was the alpha, and focused solely on him.

_What are you?_ he seemed to ask.

"I am your friend," I said, the same energy buzzing in my voice. I let my arm relax somewhat, my hand flipping over to show the wolf my palm. It was a gesture of welcome, an offering as well as a summons. The wolf regarded me with a human-like intelligence in its bright yellow eyes. The rest of them had not moved, but I kept my senses on them just in case.

With a painstaking slowness, I took the first step forward, lowering myself to crawl, spider-like across the forest floor. The wolf backed away initially, lips pulling into a warning growl, but I snapped at him in a low grunt, which seemed to almost shock him.

"No, I am _not_ your enemy," I half-growled, and stopped when I was a foot away. He took a cautious step forwards, sniffing my outstretched hand.

A warm-wet tongue tickled my fingers, then a cold-wet nose bumped the back of my hand. I buried my fingers into the soft fur of the wolf's neck, methodically rubbing and massaging the small muscle groups that elicited the most potent endorphins. I could see the effects almost immediately, and it occurred to me that these animals may never have been touched by human hand, least ways not in a gentle manner. Yellow eyes, softened by awe, stared back at me through a wall of fur.

_Friend?_

"Yes, friend," I told him, and it was like flipping a switch. He pushed further into my personal space and pressed his head against my chest, having to duck down to do so. I nearly lost my balance, but stayed crouched with both hands on his sharp shoulders. I grimaced as his tongue lapped underneath my chin, despite the apparent fact that I was no longer in any danger. One by one, the other wolves approached, pressing in on me with an aggressive curiosity, turning to forceful affection once they received the same treatment as their alpha.

Wagging tails and pushing snouts invaded, and I promptly collapsed under a pile of paws, tails and fur. I was sure when I stood up again, I would be covered in hair of various colors. For now, I allowed them to overwhelm me and gain confidence, inducting me into the pack by rubbing against me, leaving their distinct scent over every inch of my clothes. I observed their body language, following suit and running my cheek under the pack alpha's jaw and over the fur of his throat, sure to bare my neck.

He reciprocated, but on the top of my head, nipping and licking at the back of my neck and leaving my skin uncomfortably sticky and cold.

_Pack, friend_, they chorused in syncopated time. I let out a noise of disgust as more wetness invaded my face and cold noses began to nuzzle under my sweater and into my ears. My hands moved to push the invaders away as gently and firmly as possible.

"Yes, friend. Let me up," I ordered, and they reluctantly dispersed, but only so much that they weren't all touching me. I could feel the heat from each of their large bodies still. Now sure that they I was free to move, I stood. They did not back away or otherwise show any hint of fear, and their eyes followed every motion of mine attentively. This was good.

"I must pass through this forest, and quickly. Lead me through to the other side, toward the tree on the hill." I pointed in the direction I was meant to go.

Silent conference passed between the wolves, ears flicking down and questioning grunts sounding in quick succession. The pack moved away, giving me a little more space. One of the younger members, a ruddy colored pup with particularly large ears, bumped my hand enthusiastically, growling and grunting in a playful tone. He had been one of the first to move in and tackle me to the ground after Alpha's acceptance, and I rewarded his cleverness with a smile and pat on the head.

"Hello," I said to him as he gave my fingers a spirited nip with long fangs. I crouched beside him, pushing his snout away when he came too close to my face.

_Friend! Back-Walker! _ Their language structure was different from those of any other animal I had come across. It seemed less refined, yet clearly an advanced intelligence reigned the intent behind the limited words. Perhaps context was in mannerisms that I was unfamiliar with.

_Big Back-Walker kill. Big Back-Walker, not friend._ He growled, looking almost wistfully in another direction with curled lips. _Pack is less._

Their pack had been attacked, I gathered. Likely one of the other contestants had encountered the group before myself and cut their numbers. They probably did not intend to eat me, but perceived me as a threat. It was fortunate that they listened to me at all, considering what the last "Back-Walker" they met had done.

_Friend Back-Walker kill?_ My lips twitched in an organic fashion. The pup wanted me to take revenge for his fallen pack mates. He looked hopeful enough, tawny-colored eyes wide and startlingly innocent. Was this what I was reduced to now? Taking vengeance assignments from animals?

"Maybe, if I find him," I told him as a compromise, and he seemed satisfied, resting his chin in my hand.

_Find, find Back-Walker. _A request, or an assurance?

Alpha returned, grey whiskers twitching as he made a loud, gruff noise to call the others to attention. I remained low to the ground so that I was looking up respectfully, and he grunted in affirmation, tail twitching and ears alert. He looked regal and commanding for a moment, the barest hint of sunlight breaking through the fog to glint off his fur. The energy of the entire pack enveloped me, pushing the oppressive mist away until there was a break in the vapors.

_Friend, pack will help you._

That small speck of blue above was enough to erase any apprehension. It was all going to work out, at least in this moment. With their warm, friendly aura pushing against my own, the smile came easier, the calm evaporating instantly to be replaced with an unusual excitement. _Their_ excitement. I could feel it as clearly as if it were my own, and it was... wonderful.

Alpha turned, leading the way swiftly. The others followed, pushing me to the center of the group as they began their trek. The ruddy-colored pup bounded around me in clear elation, prompting me to pick up the pace just as the others' steps began to quicken to a full on sprint. The young wolf yipped gaily.

_Run with us!_

I grinned.

I started to run.

The wolves formed a wobbly ring around me, and the air filled with howls and yelps of delight, huffing breaths just short of growls that cut through the mist like knives. Their paws and my feet thumped against the earth like rolling thunder, bestial calls the war-cries of an impending army hell-bent on complete annihilation.

The alpha took us through turns, and I trusted him to stay the course correctly. Though it was unnerving to be moving so fast that my senses could not adjust, I knew the wolves were familiar with the area, and would not lead me astray. As it was, the protective circle warded off any outside dangers, keeping me separate from the fog. It was as though the wolf pack existed in a bubble, and the mist would simply roll off the sides as they plowed through it.

The unrelenting pace was refreshing, the world passing me by in a dark blur as my new companions huffed and grunted alongside me. I took a great leap over a large boulder, hands landing on the cool grey stone to propel me further through the air. The wind caught at my hair and forced it back, but was not enough to sting my eyes, which were blown wide with the adrenaline.

The young wolf would weave in and out of formation, his youth giving him the advantage over his pack mates. He ran next to me at times, then in front of me, before falling back to nip at my thighs. Laughter bubbled in my chest, and I let a small ribbon of energy lash out, striking him firmly on the shoulder in my own approximation of a playful snap.

This went on as we ran, and it was good practice for me to focus on his antics while simultaneously navigating the bumpy and uneven terrain. It took my mind off the ache in my legs- how long had we been running? I'd lost track of time. We were beginning to ascend a slope, slowing down just slightly to compensate. The wolves seemed to elongate even more in their strides, pushing forcefully with their back legs and barely touching the ground with their fronts.

The alpha signaled, a loud and sharp howl as we crested the small hill, and he turned suddenly, bringing our charge to a jarring halt. I slowed gradually, jogging up to meet him by an aging aspen. I was unsure if he noticed me, so I slowed my pace even further and crouched low. He flicked his ears in acknowledgement, eyes never breaking from their intense stare as he surveyed the land before us.

A glance ahead showed a sprawling hillside, the trees thinning out and the forest itself becoming less dense. However, I did not proceed. The wolf was still, and a quick look at the rest of the pack showed them to be restless, staring ahead warily.

"What is it?" I asked. Logically, one would assume that he had lead me to the other side. The thinning of the woods and their hesitancy to move beyond the thick pine treeline would indicate as much. And yet, I knew this was not the reason. We had not been running for nearly so long, nor covered enough ground for this to be the end of the forest. We were close, but not too close. It had only been just over one hour total.

Now that I was stationary, I allowed my senses to reach out once more. The area immediately assaulted my psyche with foreboding, a thick, invisible string of tension winding around every tree, stone and exposed root. My eyes narrowed and I took a step forward.

Immediately, Alpha snapped a rough command that I understood, despite the difference in species.

_Stop! Danger!_

I glanced at him, then back to the sparse vegetation.

"I will be careful," I assured him, giving the universal gesture for 'stay.'

One foot placed carefully in front of the other, I crept out of the dense shadows and onto the noticeably greener grass. I maintained a steady pulse of energy as I went, but the atmosphere did not offer any changes or indications that anything would change. The ground was softer here, the grass more springy, and I knew that if I had to run here, I would not have steady footing.

I crept further, one meter, two, several paces away from the pack, who remained at the edge. I took one more step-

Several alarmed yelps sounded behind me as the ground moved, and I lurched forward, throwing myself to the ground and rolling onto my knees. I let out a startled cry of my own as the grass began to lift around me, like a carpet of green, and I lunged towards the thicker woods. My ankle brushed against the grass and I scrambled quickly to rejoin the wolves, who jumped and wailed frantically until I crashed to the ground beside them.

_Pack is safe, there is danger, friend, here is safe!_

I was immediately met with concerned wet noses and fearful whining. I looked back, my mouth falling slack as I beheld what exactly had made the ground move.

Three enormous plants, each with four bright red leaves, were closing in the manner that a venus flytrap would. The red undersides flashed dangerously as they twisted and fell shut into crimson parcels, one after the other. They sunk to the ground, empty pockets of air all they had to show for their effort. After a few seconds, each of them opened with a creaking groan, and the leaves lay flat and invisible against the forest floor, grassy insides completely identical to the ground.

"Fascinating," I mumbled as the wolves pushed and leaned on me. I straightened my back, offering a few grateful petts to their heads. My hand still on the floor found a fist-sized stone, and I tossed the grey rock towards the center of where one of those plants had been. It bounced and rolled a little ways, but landed close to the mark. Almost immediately, the leaves dislodged from the grass and rose to envelope the rock, forming a bright red ball that did not immediately unfurl as the others had.

That was a start, I supposed, but the hill was expansive, and I would not be able to carry enough rocks heavy enough to set off every plant along the way. The trees were too far apart for me to consider jumping between them, and running was out of the question also, the soft and easily dislodged ground too unsteady.

"Can we go around?" I asked Alpha, who only looked both ways before growling.

_Too long, you asked for quick._

I grit my teeth, then nodded. I had just under an hour left. My choices were few, and none of them held much appeal. I would have to go through, and move as quickly as I could from tree to tree. Hopefully, the roots of the trees would prevent these plants from sprouting too closely. I turned to the wolves, still in a crouch, and fixed Alpha with a grateful expression.

"Thank you for helping me this far. I must go through here, and I will not have you guide me any longer. Take your pack and go home." I let the power enter the sound of my voice, making the command one they would not question, or so I hoped. Alpha looked hesitant, glancing back at the grass where the leviathans hid, then back to me with a whine.

_Pack?_

"No," I told him firmly. "I am not Pack, I am Friend. I cannot stay with you." His eyes hardened somewhat, and his chest seemed to puff out.

_Pack_, he asserted, and I let out a groan of exasperation. I had misunderstood him, but that could be forgiven, as his thoughts weren't as clear as Mami's. Perhaps I had just been with the cat long enough to understand her better, but she seemed to have more range of language.

"You can't come with me, there are too many of you." He gazed at the rest of the pack in thought, then gave a silent huff. The others responded in kind.

_Me, Spring, and Speaker._ I blinked when the younger wolf bounded over, his jowls pulled back into an approximation of a smile. This had to be Spring, and I got the feeling that his name was more the action of springing than the season. It suited him. But which was Speaker, I wondered. No other wolves stepped up, all of them backing away to leave Alpha, Spring, and myself…

"I am Speaker?" I asked as my head fell to the side. I received an uff in confirmation. Two of them, both able to sense the plants location more than I, was far preferable to the whole pack of seven. I nodded, gesturing for Alpha to take the lead. He gave some other commands in yips and growls, which I could not understand, and the other five took off through the woods once more, presumably to return home.

His pace was a little faster than mine, though he stopped every few feet to scent the air and look around with hackles raised. He trotted ahead by a few feet and I followed his steps as best as I could, all the while keeping an ear out for Spring behind me. I could not turn around, or I would risk mis-stepping, or not seeing a particular paw placement, and that could end badly. I could not ignore Spring either, as I got the strangest feeling he would accidentally trigger a plant.

It was somewhat strange to be so focused on their safety, but both wolves had proven useful, and so endeared themselves to me. Their open and blatant trust and affection was moving, even if only a little bit.

As we moved, I could feel the ground shifting beneath me, as though some small being was shifting beneath the green blanket of grass, yet the giant leviathans never closed their maws over us. Perhaps it was the roots, or sensory receptors that made the plants ready to receive the prey at the right time. Like a spiderweb that vibrated and sent the message that prey was caught all the way to the center, where the spider waited.

Alpha gave a quiet yip, muzzle sticking straight ahead. I dared to glance up briefly, looking just beyond his grey shoulders, and noted the treeline was thick once more. We were still at least one eighth of a mile out, and the weaving path was adding time onto the journey. By my estimation, I had a half-hour left. If we ran the rest of the way, I should make it well within the time limit.

A sound behind me caught my ears, and I chanced a glance back, suddenly concerned that Spring had tripped a plant. But it was only a bat, flapping helplessly and shrieking as it was devoured by monstrous leaves. I sighed, relieved.

Then, Alpha yelped.

My body whipped around to see him attempting to force his way out of a plant, which had already trapped his top half. He must have looked back and made a wrong step! He thrashed and snarled, but it was to no avail. Spring let out a wail of despair and fear, and I darted forward.

"Alpha, stop moving," I commanded loudly, and my arms grew warm as energy sprung from my skin, bleeding out pleasantly. He complied, but just barely, still trying to pull away. His body was situated between two leaves, exposing his hind legs and tail. Perfect.

I reached the plant, Spring hot on my heels, and lashed out at the base of the nearest leaf with my violet blade. The leaf fell away with a fleshy noise, and the severed area began to ooze a sickly purple liquid. The rest of its vegetative extremities immediately unfurled, and Alpha fell away from the deadly embrace. The leaves writhed and snapped, but eventually lay still. The illusion of grass was ruined by the blood, marking the plant easily.

Alpha was panting heavily, and one leg was curled under his chest. Spring was nuzzling him and whining worriedly. The old wolf was injured, but there was no blood, and no break that I could see. He struggled to his paws with only three good legs, but managed to stand without shaking.

_Pack_, he seemed to say as he looked at me.

"Pack," I confirmed. He limped past me, and though our pace was considerably slower, we managed the rest of the Leviathan field without incident. Reaching the treeline, I allowed us to take a quick break, crouching down beside the old canine and reaching for his paw. He gave it without complaint, but flinched when I touched a sore spot. I gently pressed down everywhere over the foreleg, then returned it to him.

"You will recover, given rest. You must not run," I told him, making it an order. He dropped his head, anger flashing briefly in his eyes. Spring trotted over, sniffing his Alpha with a worried whine. Alpha growled, something I did not understand, then Spring looked up at me with a slow wag of his tail.

_I will run with you_, was what I sensed from his lopsided smile. I looked back at Alpha, who only dipped his snout in a nod.

_Run, Speaker._

I reached out both hands to give his ears special attention, and he closed his eyes with a happy sigh. I thanked him, digging my fingers into the fur around his neck, throat, cheeks, and finally with a last scratch under his chin.

"Thank you. Goodbye."

With that, I rose, and Spring took the lead. He wove freely in and around patches of greenery, clearly without concern. I, however, was less comfortable without the entirety of the pack surrounding me. As it was, I could not utilize my senses reliably, and this left me completely at Spring's mercy. Not that I believed the young wolf would lead me into danger purposely, but he may neglect to pay enough attention to his sides.

Looking ahead, however, I could see sunlight breaking through the canopy, and it brought a sense of ease to my mind. I had made it, with twenty minutes to spare by my estimation. Spring began to slow, and I tempered my pace to come alongside him.

That was when the attack came.

I barely had time to dodge, rolling to my left as what seemed like a missile came rushing at me from the right. I bared my teeth in a snarl and extended my senses. Now stationary, I could tell that my attacker was human. One of the contestants staking out the finished line to dispose of the competition before they made it to the next stage. I would have been impressed, if it hadn't been me in the line of fire.

Violet energy emanated from my arms, the current running in a shapeless flow. Spring, after yelping and jumping out of his skin, stood before me with teeth bared and fur standing puffed on end. He growled menacingly, eyes locked on something or someone I couldn't see.

Slowly, a figure emerged from the underbrush, and my eyes narrowed.

"You move quickly for someone with your… dimensions," I called to the portly man. He wore a muted magenta uniform in the Chinese style, a matching cap atop his bald head and a thin, curling mustache on his upper lip.

"I was hoping your reliance on the wolf was enough to keep you from using your senses," he admitted after a moment, and I could see my jab at his weight had no effect. "Alas, you seem not to fall prey to the complacency of youth these days."

He bowed deeply, and Spring snarled.

"I am Chin-Po the Wanderer. It's nice to meet you."

I did not respond, or give him time to react. The moment his back straightened, I struck, taking a running leap in his direction and lashing out with twin sickles of energy. They both sliced through the air where his head had been. He ducked, rolled onto his hands, and flipped himself out of harms way with more dexterity than he looked capable of. Unfortunately for him, this put him with his back to Spring, who took full advantage of that and lunged for the man.

The young wolf made contact with the mans arm, back paws scrambling for purchase on the thick body. I wasted no time, reshaping my sickles into simple double-edged gauntlets and making another attack. I landed a blow this time, across his shoulder as he spun to avoid me. He flung Spring in my direction and I dropped to the forest floor to avoid collision with the animal. I heard a yelp, but did not look back.

"Your alliance with the wolf is a surprising development. I did not think demons would willingly serve a human, even ones as old and primitive as these."

I narrowed my eyes, adjusting my stance. I took a step forward.

"What is going on here!?" Chin-Po and I both looked away, and my eyes widened when I beheld the old man, the elderly contestant who had not stopped watching me the entire day. I blinked, my arms falling to my side in a non-threatening way.

"She attacked me!" My head whipped around, my eyes frozen wide. Chin-Po gave me a wicked grin. "She waited here with that demon wolf, her familiar I believe. She sprung a trap to eliminate me from the competition!"

I stared at the Chinese man, a rage beginning to boil within me. The old man drew my attention for a split second as he stepped forward with a glare.

"I knew it, I knew you were an unholy thing! The moment I got a look at your eyes!" I glanced between the two, wondering briefly if this was an act and they were in this together. I decided, based on my gut, that they were not, and took a step away.

"Listen to me, sir," I began earnestly, looking at the old man. "He attacked me first. He is the one staying by the exit to keep others from moving on, and if he should be lucky enough to kill me, you will be next."

I let out an exasperated sigh and rolled my eyes internally as the man shook his head vehemently.

"That's a poor story, child. If you even are a child! And why would I believe you when you so openly cavort with demons!?" I grit my teeth, eyes flicking back to Chin-Po's malicious grin. If the old man could just look to his right…

"I have a talent with animals, the demonic variety included. That wolf was my guide."

"Lies!" Talking, it seemed, was useless.

I lowered myself to a crouch, pushing energy into my legs for a sudden leap towards Chin-Po. He wasn't expecting that, his eyes going wide. He only just narrowly avoided my blade, but I didn't let him recover. I lashed out again, only to find my arm blocked by a silvery kunai that slipped from his sleeve.

I pushed against him, forcing him to stumble back and began my assault anew. Every strike was countered with his own small knives, and though I tried to disarm him, he would always procure another.

The old man joined in the fray, his staff coming down harshly over my head, but I levelled him with a kick to the stomach that sent him flying back. He fell to the ground, and I know I didn't imagine the hearty crunch when my foot connected.

He was enough of a distraction for Chin-Po to gain a slight advantage, forcing me to somersault away to avoid being sliced open.

I crouched low to the floor, preparing to make some move to get under him, when he was suddenly slammed from the side by another body. A furry, ruddy-colored body, with sharp fangs flashing.

Spring had bitten down on the mans shoulder that I had already cut, and the man let out a scream of pain. I stood and took a few quick steps forward. The blade flashed before I could move to intercept. A high wail of agony pierced the otherwise silent woods, and a grunt as the man threw the wolf away.

Spring landed on his side with a hard thud. He did not get up.

I growled and surged forward, lashing out at Chin-Po without reservation. He hollered as he stumbled back, barely blocking every blow as my arms came down in quick succession. I was unbridled fury by this point, and I knew it was only a matter of time before his arms gave out. Mine felt like they never would.

One hand, clad in the angry purple, finally sliced clean through his blade and left a deep incision in his stomach. He cried out, falling to the ground with one hand to catch himself, the other gripping the now bleeding injury.

"Your energy is strong, and you have decent skill, but your body doesn't allow for what you ask of it," I told him blankly, voicing what I had analyzed during our brief fight. "As such, you dedicate most of your energy to speed and neglect putting any real power behind your strikes. Someone like you could never have killed me."

He made to move again, his legs starting to fill with energy, but I did not let him proceed. I moved forward quickly, stabbing my glowing arm straight through his gut.

"In the end, all you succeeded in doing… was pissing me off."

At that moment, the bushes before me shook, but I was unconcerned. Alpha pushed through the leaves, still limping, but using all four legs now. I stood, removing my hand from my prey and taking a respectful step back.

"He's yours. Kill him." Alpha regarded me for a brief moment before his entire demeanor changed. His lips pulled back in a feral snarl, eyes filling with more hate and bloodlust than I'd seen on any living being, and he lunged.

I turned, not willing to give Chin-Po the respect of seeing his demise, and his agonized screams were cut off in a wild roar and a thick gurgling. I instead made my way slowly to the fallen wolf, kneeling beside him and scooping his entire torso into my arms. His chest rose and fell weakly, and blood flowed freely from the large hole in his chest.

"Spring," I said quietly, and his brown eyes fluttered open. He whined pitifully, jaws working to draw in breaths and tongue flicking in and out slowly. Drool and blood dripped from his lips. A high keening was all he could manage.

_Speaker?_

"Yes," I answered. I was acutely aware of the bright red blood staining my sweater, but I didn't care at that moment. Red and pink looked good together anyhow.

_Pack?_ The thought was almost stammered. He was fading.

"Yes," I repeated. "Pack."

Behind me, I heard the lumbering, off-kilter steps of an animal limping, and soon enough, Alpha had joined me. Spring whined again, earning a gruff noise of confirmation from the old wolf. Spring's legs moved, as though he were trying to stand, but his body ultimately gave out and he slumped back onto me, his breaths coming shorter.

Alpha leaned in, pressing his muzzle into the fur of Spring's neck. I followed suit, our breaths all mingling unpleasantly. Yet I was still not in the state of mind to care.

"Thank you, Spring. Pack," I said, my voice unnaturally thick with the emotion I recognized as grief. My throat felt full, but any tears that may have come were hidden in the ruddy brown fur. Spring's breaths grew more labored, his head twitching, neck stretching out. I felt a warm tongue lap my exposed collar bone.

Then, his breathing stopped.

I pressed my fingers deep into his throat, feeling for the last of his heartbeats. Then, soon after, they too became silent. Alpha pulled away, and I felt his old body jerk. A heart-piercing howl split the air, the sound of pure pain somehow unpleasant to my ears. I winced, sitting up straight to look Spring's corpse in the face. His tongue lolled between two rows of the now horribly dull-looking fangs, and his eyes stared ahead, glassy and still. It was unbecoming of the lively beast to look so undignified, and I pushed his tongue back inside his mouth, shutting his jaws gently.

Alpha's cry ended, and his grey-white head fell to my shoulder, pushing into my chest. An ache began from the contact point, though I knew it had nothing to do with the living wolf.

_Pack is less_, Alpha thought, and I nodded.

"I am sorry." I meant it. "He was brave."

Alpha licked my cheek, and I leaned into his face. We stayed there for only a few seconds before he stepped away. I set Spring down as carefully as I could, only closing his eyes when he was laying down flat. If not for the gaping red wound, he could be sleeping. And if not for the stillness of his chest, and the now lifeless and limp quality of his coat.

No, such foolish imaginings were exactly that. Foolish. He wasn't sleeping. He was dead. But... he was also avenged, and that was the best we could have done.

_Speaker, hurry. Time is close._ Alpha nudged at my ribs, prodding me to go towards the cracks of sunlight in the treeline. I nodded, offering him a final parting press of my forehead against his.

The sound of struggling and a groan made me turn again, and I regarded the old man coldly.

"S-stay back, demon child," he spat, and I began to walk toward him, my pace painfully slow and measured. He shuffled back with one hand to the ground, the other clutching his broken ribs. I felt no remorse for that, kicking his staff away as I drew near. Alpha stalked behind me, a growl rising in his throat.

"You and your demons, filth of the earth! You evil, vile thing! Genkai won't fall for your trickery!" I stopped before his pathetic visage, charging my right arm with the same purple blade that had plunged into Chin-Po. It reflected in the prey's eyes, and the prey stared at it fearfully. I lunged. The prey shut his eyes. The blade connected.

…

…

The prey opened his eyes, staring straight back into mine. I looked at him, my entire body feeling suddenly cold, and I know that ice had taken over my eyes.

"Go home, old man," I said in an eerie, calm voice. "This is no place for you."

I pulled my hand out of the earth and stood, taking a step away.

"Don't harm him," I said to Alpha. "Lead him out of the forest, then return to your pack."

I received a half growl, half sniff, but he had accepted my order. I nodded, then gave the old man a last look. He was in shock, eyes wide and lips trembling. Without a word, I turned and ran, the wind whipping over my cheeks no longer feeling quite so freeing. Despite not knowing them long, I missed the pack surrounding me. They had been a safety net of sorts, more limbs to a body that functioned smoothly, one unit. It was almost familial…

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts. Now was not the time.

I crested the hill with what my internal clock told me was five minutes to spare. Several men were already there, my brother included. They all turned to watch me, and I could see the identical looks of shock on all their faces as they beheld me. Were they shocked that I had survived as a young girl? No, because Kazuma was staring too, with… fear?

"Ru-Ru! What's all that blood!?"

I stopped a few paces away and looked down. Red splotches soaked the front of my pale and the top of my left thigh, likely soaking through to the grey fabric of my shirt. Wolf blood. Spring's blood.

Kazuma rushed to me, grabbing my shoulders in a firm but gentle grip as he looked me over worriedly.

"Don't worry, Zu," I said, pushing him away and stepping back. If I couldn't be rid of the blood, I would use it. "I'm quite alright. None of it is mine."

I let that comment sink in, allowing that gathering to draw their own conclusions from that vague statement of fact. They didn't need to know that it wasn't human blood, and they didn't need to know that I had held the wolf as he took his last breaths. I think, if I recall, this was the first time I'd been covered in blood that I wasn't the one to spill. It made me feel dirty, somehow more so than when the blood was from my victims. It felt wrong that I should be the one to bear it.

"You're sure you're okay? Whose is it?" Kazuma's rapid fire questions lightened my heart a small bit. His worry over me was reassuring.

"No one terribly important," I said, but the words felt hollow. "No one who will be around to miss it." Again, I hoped for conjecture by the others. Let them come to their own conclusions. Let them be cautious. Let them be afraid.

I looked them all over, then returned my gaze to my brother.

"Yusuke?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"I thought he was with you."

I scoffed, said: "The idiot left me soon in the beginning. He was planning on making a run straight through the center."

A grunt sounded from the center of the group, and I glanced down to see Genkai's face go slack in surprise.

"You say, he tried to go straight through?" I nodded, and she gave a dry laugh. "Then I'm afraid your friend is already dead, or worse. He will have encountered a lethal man-bat that would drain him dry in minutes."

Kazuma let out a distressed yelp, but I stood my ground, staring the woman down as she smoked her half-burnt cigarette. My eyes lit on the _thing_ for a moment before flicking back up to her scowl.

"With all due respect, Master Genkai, you have no idea what that boy is capable of." I turned to look back at the forest. "He will come."

"Well, he'd better make it before the time runs out, which is in three minutes, by the way," she snorted, and I heard the sound of a pocket watch clicking shut.

I stood stock still, staring over the expanse of the forest. My mind was a jumble of conflicting thoughts and muted, but still present, emotional responses. My senses would only extend so far before snapping back into my body like a rubber band pulled too tight, so the one emotion overwhelming the rest was curiosity.

Where was he? How had he fared against the supposed lethal man-bat? Would he be able to withstand whatever came next if he had survived?

Worry was second, concern over his state of health. I didn't want to have to return to find him dead on the unbeaten path. Yet beside my worry, there was the small hope that he would not make it in time, and leave the way clear for me to defeat Rando.

_Two minutes._

That small desire in the back of my mind, so prevalent before, was little more than a whisper now. Where earlier that day I had been keen on besting him at every turn, here I was less concerned for my own potential achievements and more for his safety.

I still wanted Genkai's ability, did I not? Of course I did, that was unquestionable.

However, it was possible I didn't want it as much as I wanted him to be alright. The situation didn't feel quite as foreign to me as I thought it might. He had been growing on me for quite a while. We were partners, and I even felt confident in saying we were friends. Perhaps that feeling was not as one-sided as I had been aiming for. Of course, I'd been attached to him for quite a while, but I hadn't understood why.

_One minute._

I was attached to Kazuma in the same way, yet him I had known for my entire life. Yusuke's presence was relatively new, practically two months. Yet I already spent so much of my free time with him. Enough to have shared my most well-kept secret.

And he barely bat an eye!

_Thirty seconds._

He was not permitted to fail. If I had to go back into those woods and drag him out bodily myself, I would.

_Twenty seconds._

I had put too much effort into this friendship. I relied on it, stupidly, and I was paying the price.

_Ten._

Over the crest…

_Nine._

There was movement…

_Eight._

An almost neon green…

_Seven._

Standing out from the Dark Forest…

_Six._

Moving towards us…

_Five._

Becoming a figure…

_Four._

Running frantically…

"Wait for me!"

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

Huffing and gasping for air, Yusuke doubled over with his hands braced on his knees. He had made it, on the exact last second. There were rips and tears all over his favorite jacket, and a new cut on his cheek. Other than that, he looked perfectly unscathed.

He straightened with a grumble.

"You know, suddenly I'm reminded of a fortune cookie I ate that said the straight way isn't always the fastest." Kazuma approached him, and I noted his eyes were assessing as mine had been. He was concerned for Yusuke too? Strange, but at the same time, not really that strange.

"You actually went in a straight line?" Genkai asked incredulously, her eyes looking him over with a new sense of curiosity. "What of the demon bat?"

Yusuke blinked, not expecting to be addressed by the small woman, and looking slightly confused.

"You mean Baldoc?" She nodded, and he shrugged. "Yeah, he was hanging out with me for a while. That guy was fast, but not nearly as fast as Hiei. Taru probably coulda took care of him faster than I did, but I still got him real good, you'll see!"

And he laughed. And I smiled. And The gathered men stared. And Genkai smirked.

"Well then, congratulations. You eight have made it to the next challenge."

* * *

**Before you all go off on me about how weak Hotaru was and how she should have beaten Chin-Po so much more easily, do keep in mind a few things. Hotaru is conserving her energy for Rando. She doesn't want to use it all, then not have enough when the real battle comes up. Also, despite her unquestionable experience in the field, the majority of her victims were untrained civilians, who were taken down with little effort.**

**Chin-Po is older and more experienced, and also a completely blank character, so I can do what I damn well please with him! I mean, he died to Rando, so there isn't much we actually know about him. Not that I really gave him much of a backstory, but at least he had a little more to his character than Okubo's dad turning and walking away into the darkness. Brownie points for anyone who gets that reference.**

**So, short little thing. I need to apologize for killing Spring. I didn't mean to! But it had to happen, either he had to die, or Hotaru had to kill the old man, and I already knew I wanted him to live. Believe me, I did not want to kill the pupper! It broke my heart more than you know, and I had to stop multiple times because I was crying. The reason?**

**Around my birthday (July 2019, the time I wrote that scene), my family had to put down the dog we have had for the past fourteen years. It was a miserable time, and I unconsciously designed Spring after my family dog, like an idiot. So of course I couldn't picture it in my head without seeing my own dog there. It was not an easy scene, as it hit a little too close to home for the particular time.**

**That being said, if any of you have pets or animals you wish to feature, because animals are so important to Hotaru and her story, let me know! Even deceased pets, like my Grizzy, are welcome.**

**Meow for now, and make sure to give your animals a whole lot of love. We don't have them nearly long enough, so make their time with you the best time of their lives.**


	19. Chapter 18

**Happy Wednesday! I'm psyched guys, totally pumped! This marks the halfway point of the arc, more or less, and we're finally getting to what we all came here to see. Good old fashioned blood and guts and gore! ... What?... **

**... Um, hold on, wait a sec. ... Sorry, the producer is telling me we're not at the Dark Tournament yet, so that "guts and gore" is gonna have to wait. Well fine! Stingy old bastard... Whatever! We still got fights, we still got blood, and we still got Genkai! That old lady deserves the MVP award for this arc, because her sass is on point and her attitude ain't nothing to scoff at. Ya'll ready?**

**Then on with the "sho"!**

* * *

_Without a weapon in your hand_  
_ You came to fight a war._  
_ They took your life, but didn't know_  
_ That you will never die._

_ Rise again little fighter,_  
_ And let the world know the reason why._  
_ Shout again little fighter,_  
_ And don't let it impair the things you do._

_ Are you feeling all right?_  
_ 'Cause I care.  
_

_-Little Fighter- White Lion_

**How the Mighty Fall**

We returned to the temple, the darkness of the forest fading away into the afternoon as we trudged along behind the spritely old Genkai. Most of us were rather tired. Two hours racing through a demonic forest full of killer plants and apparitions will have that effect, I think. Though perhaps tired wasn't the correct word, as the tension in the air kept everyone's senses alert.

I walked between Yusuke and Kazuma, two barriers on each side whose eyes never stopped moving, flicking between our competition and each other, occasionally falling to give my hands some attention.

I had wiped off what I could of Spring's blood, though under my nails was still stained ruddy brown, and my clothing was beyond help. Yusuke had asked, once we had all begun the journey back, where the blood had come from. I responded simply that I had run into trouble, and he took that with a nod.

Be it a surprising discretion on his part or perhaps sheer stupidity for believing me without question, the fact that he didn't press the matter further was something I appreciated. The same could be said for my brother, though he had taken years to learn not to dig too deeply.

Again, I tried to think of a way to keep him out of harms way, to either eliminate or disqualify him, but I was coming up blank. Perhaps if I had found him in the forest, I could have convinced the wolves to guard him and keep him from the end. Though, he was the first to arrive. Perhaps he would hold up in the final tests better than I thought.

It didn't matter how strong he was at the end of the day. He was _still_ my Kazuma, and there was _still_ a demon among us. To tell which one, however, would take a better psychic than I.

Our trek up the endless flight of stairs culminated in our group standing before a heavy wooden door. The building itself didn't appear to be any different from the rest of the compound, and one could only wonder at what lay inside. Perhaps a contest of physical prowess and ability. There were eight of us now, an even number with only even denominators.

It was to be a battle then. Either a royale, or a set of matches until only two remained to battle for the prize. In a royale, we would have the advantage. The three of us working together would be formidable, and that Yusuke and I were already classed in teamwork was only an added bonus. Then, by allowing Yusuke and possibly Kazuma to take the brunt of most attacks, I could slip by their defenses undetected and wear down our enemies as well as my own allies, ensuring my victory. The only tricky part would be preventing my allies from being killed while sustaining the least damage myself.

_… Wait, allies?_ That wasn't right. Ally was such a cold term, so impersonal.

They were my boys. _My_ Kazuma. _My_ Yusuke. My brother and my friend, not expendable pieces in my usual games. Though the plan was solid and left little room for error, it felt somehow incorrect to place these two in such a situation. Would I truly allow harm to befall them, even as minimal as I was planning, just to ensure I came out ahead?

Was I capable of that anymore? Part of me wanted to reassure myself that yes, I could do it. The other part of me hoped for a tournament.

In tournament-style matches, there would be no advantage of teamwork. We would have our own skill sets to rely on and nothing more. For me, that was not a problem. Even if they knew by this time that I was not as harmless as I looked, I still had my acting to fall back on, and as far as I knew, none of them had witnessed my spirit energy. Yusuke had his dogged determination and the spirit gun, and at the very least, Kazuma was resilient.

I couldn't protect them like this though.

The most any of us could do was offer advice to the others, assuming we were even permitted to observe the fights. Perhaps, if things got particularly rough, Yusuke and I could donate energy to one another. It was yet to be seen if Kazuma and I could do the same.

Genkai stopped, effectively halting my thoughts in their tracks.

"From here on in, you can forget about sympathy," she spat, her expression serious as the old woman turned to face us. "The final test will be a tournament between the eight of you until only one is standing. You will fight until your opponent is dead or incapacitated. I don't care which."

Tournament matches it was, and likely to the death. That was _not_ optimal.

"And if one of the fighters surrenders?" I asked, earning many pairs of eyes on me. "Will the other be mandated to cease attacks?"

The woman eyed me critically, then sighed, mumbling something or other under her breath.

"If one of your opponents yields the fight, you will be granted victory and may _not_ continue attacking them." She said it as though setting a guideline for me specifically, but I only nodded in acceptance, keeping my internal relief hidden.

"Any more questions?" Genkai asked, her irritation plain, but I couldn't care less. No one responded, and she spun on her heel, swinging open the heavy doors with little effort. Light spilled into the otherwise black room, illuminating the large Buddah that sat upon its grand stone pedestal, reaching over the room almost protectively.

The group was slow to enter, likely wary of the encroaching darkness and the presence the room seemed to possess. It only amplified as the doors behind us swung closed, creaking obnoxiously. All heads turned to stare, no gaze with any shortage of panic. The room was plunged into abyssal darkness.

"Hey! What's wrong with the lights?" Kazuma questioned, a note of fear in his voice. "I don't like that, lady!" I blinked, trying to use my energy to feel each body's position in the room. Any one of them could have moved for a better position. It seemed both the boys had unconsciously moved closer together, and by extension closer to me. The others all had the same reaction, which created two distinct groups.

"Yeah Grandma, what do expect us to fight in the dark?" Yusuke's voice sounded from my right.

I paused, considering the ludicrous idea. But she would, wouldn't she. That's exactly the kind of test one should expect. It wouldn't serve as a problem for me. The others, however, I could hedge no bets on.

A sudden brightness made me blink my irritated eyes as a lantern hanging above our heads sprung to life. Its glow only extended around the fighters, as though we were within an invisible light barrier. Genkai stood at the center, looking quite unbothered as she puffed a new cigarette.

"Yes you little crap, that's exactly what I expect," she snapped at Yusuke, blowing a cloud of smoke into our faces. I breathed it in and immediately began coughing, though I tried to subdue it. Those could not be ordinary cigarettes. Yusuke and Kazuma had similar reactions, and I once again glared at the _thing_ pinched between the old womans fingers.

"You must use your spirit awareness to see," she continued, addressing the rest of the room. "Use weapons if you've got them, hit 'em where you like. Anything goes. The winner is the one who can walk back alive."

Painfully simple rules, and easy enough to follow. Too easy. Any of the people here, myself included, would be unlikely to attack in ways that would allow their opponent the chance to yield. My earlier relief vanished.

"Sounds like a typical Saturday morning street fight, huh Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked quietly, closing in on my brothers space. His face bore an open, almost comforting smile, which I may have passed off as being imagined if not for the carefully probing tone in his voice. He and I were on the same page then.

"I dunno, Urameshi. I got a bad hunch." My eyes flickered briefly to my brother, whose lowered voice just barely reached my ears. I shifted closer. "It's like some of that scary stuff from the forest has followed us here somehow, you know?"

Yusuke and I traded glances, and I was once more pleased to find our thoughts lining up.

"Like some beast has been stalking me all this way, but he's too afraid to attack me." While I doubted Kazuma was the target of the mystery beasts aggression, it was comforting that he could feel that much, and had the good sense to alert us.

"Well that proves it then. After all those tests, Rando's still here," Yusuke gave me a meaningful look, and I shook my head.

"I can't tell which he is, the energy throughout the day has been too cluttered," I admitted, and doing so pained me. "However, I can say that the one who was watching us before is not here, and it was not Rando."

Yusuke's eyes flicked down to the blood stains on my sweater, but he said nothing, turning instead to Kazuma.

"Hey, is that hunch of yours coming from one of those guys?" he asked my brother, who shrugged.

"Hard to say, I think the feeling is hidden really good. It's just hanging in the air and I can't tell where it's coming from. Sorta like a… um…" As Kazuma struggled to find an apt analogy, Yusuke suggested his own, in a most charming way.

"Sorta like a fart in a crammed elevator," he supplied, and I considered the comparison accurate enough.

"Now, before we start, you'll all introduce yourselves. And speak up," the old woman said, prompting one of the older fighters to step forward for his introduction. All down the line they went, and though each of them struck me as dangerous, none stood out as potential demon candidates any more than the next.

"Kuwabara Kazuma, the worst punk at Sarayashiki Junior High," Kazuma intoned menacingly when his turn came. I suppressed a smirk.

"Urameshi Yusuke, the much much _worser_ punk of Sarayashiki Junior High," Yusuke said, as always one-upping. I wore a smile during my own introduction.

"Kuwabara Hotaru, certainly not a punk, but a student of Sarayashiki Junior High."

The silence after my last words was cut with the sound of ringing, and several objects fell suddenly from the ceiling. Everyone took a step back in alarm, and my eyes widened when I saw the eight arrows stuck firmly into the wooden planks. An attack? Surely not, as these arrows carried small, innocuous slips of paper tied around the shaft.

"Now everyone pick up the arrow you think is pretty. That'll decide the order of the fights."

We all stepped up, some quicker than most, and took our arrows. Unwrapping my own piece of paper, I wasn't sure whether to hope for a match against one of my companions or not. A battle in the dark would give me the advantage over Yusuke for sure, but Kazuma's spirit awareness rivaled my own. In either case, it would be a victory of skill.

Alas, or thankfully, it was not to be. My number, a glaring red 2, stared up at me from my palm. A quick glance at the others showed a 3 and 4 for Kazuma and Yusuke respectively. I wondered idly which of the others I would be facing. The sooner I could get to Rando, the sooner this contest could end. Yusuke had made a deal, after all.

"The two of you who got the number one, congratulations, you're up first." No one moved, everyone glancing around as if to gage the first fighter by looking at them. Genkai growled in irritation.

"No stalling, you two! Step up to the plate."

At her stinging tone, two men stepped forward immediately: The short monk Shorin, and the man Kuroda who had claimed to be an assassin during our introductions. They both made to walk out into the darkness, but the hit man stopped, turning to regard Genkai curiously.

"Let's make this clear. In my line of work, I've been taught not to quit until they're dead."

"If you're asking about killing, I've already answered. Feel free to use any force necessary to defeat your opponent and ensure your victory," the old woman replied with a somewhat sadistic smile. The man frowned in exasperation.

"Yes, you've said that twice, but will you hold it against me if I turn out to be a cold blooded killer?" A question that had been pacing in the back of my mind as well, though I wasn't about to ask it.

"Young man, I am a _psychic_, not a saint," she said in an almost condescending tone. "I'll train whoever is strongest, regardless of any moral shortcomings." That was both a comfort and cause for concern. The woman would train Rando, should he win, despite likely being aware of his nature. Yet, she wouldn't object to training me either.

"We really have to win now, this hag is crazy!" Yusuke muttered, and I nodded in assent.

"I'm very relieved to hear that- so I can win the fight without holding myself back," the hit man said, crossing his arms. The monk, who had been quiet up until this point, merely smiled and bowed.

"I too am happy not to have restrictions. I hope this will be an educational battle."

I eyed the boy up and down. His introduction had been somewhat lacklustre, his credentials the least impressive out of them all. A simple student searching for the perfect master. He had some training, but not much, it seemed. Yet, his eyes held not a scrap of fear.

It would be an interesting fight to be sure, the overconfident against the humble and unafraid.

The hit man frowned, but the monk was already walking off into the darkness, leaving the arrogant man no choice but to follow. I activated my awareness, watching their forms move further and further away until they had reached a satisfactory distance.

"You may begin," Genkai shouted, and the momentary silence that followed was foreboding. I blinked, eyes narrowing at the first sign of quiet movement. The hit man was holding something over one shoulder, likely the throwing knives he had been toying with earlier.

Then, the first blade went flying, cutting through the air like a silverfish through calm water.

The monk dodged expertly, subtly moving closer to Kuroda's position. From there, it became a sort of dance, as the endless barrage of knives only served to bring the monk closer and closer. It should have been obvious to the man, as he could clearly sense his position.

It was obvious, as the moment Shorin got too close, Kuroda backed off. He wasn't fast enough as Shorin suddenly lunged, a far cry from his sedated pace. In his fists, he brandished two of the hit man's own blades, swiping at him fiercely.

They went back and forth, dodging around each other, the blades meeting with sparks where avoidance was impossible. It was interesting to a degree, but both were almost generic styles, nothing I hadn't seen before.

"This is pointless, we can't see a thing," a man said from my right. Kibano, with the long green hair and the exceptionally high score on the punching game. I cocked a brow as others nodded their agreement, even Yusuke.

"It's not exactly a spectator sport," the boy agreed.

"They're locked in close combat," Kazuma said aloud, concentrating on the fight in the darkness. "Neither has really gotten the advantage."

Yusuke looked around, eyes wide.

"Are you telling me you can see in there?" he asked incredulously, and I didn't bother quieting the small spark of pride that must have lit up my face. I hadn't known his powers had grown this extreme. Despite his suffering, it may be more advantageous not to have Genkai turn his energy down.

"Yeah, kinda," Kazuma admitted, and I nodded.

"The monk collected Kuroda's own kunai as he closed the distance, then attacked him that way. He's quite fast," I added, thinking to myself that he wasn't terribly unintelligent either. Then, as I watched, I caught the faintest flicker of energy, a fluctuation in the shape and color of the aura that represented him.

Both of them started out in varying shades of white, as was indicative of humans in general. Yet Shorin's flashed a briefly blob-like burgundy, just seconds before a sudden movement thrust his hand through Kuroda's defenses. The grunt that came next was unmistakable. It was the sound someone would make after having something sharp bodily plunged into their gut when they least expected it. He had clearly thought he was winning.

He was wrong, and after three more quick jabs, he fell dead at the monk's feet, his existence cut short in the most anticlimactic way. Shorin dropped the knives with a clatter, and I watched him as he made his way back to the group, adopting a slight stagger halfway there with a hand over his side.

"Just… barely escaped," he sighed as he entered the light. My brow furrowed, but I said nothing as he moved to lean against a pillar.

"Winner, Shorin," Genkai said, and I could see that she too was observing the timid monk.

"Yusuke," I muttered, edging slightly closer to my partner. I never took my eyes off the object of my attention, but I could feel Yusuke looking at me. "That's him. That's Rando."

He immediately zeroed in on the target, and I could feel him tense beside me.

"You sure?" he questioned, and I nodded. There was no mistaking that energy. It was brief, but that was all I needed to see, and feel. The purity of the angry red aura left little room for debate.

"Do nothing, say nothing. Just wait," I advised, and he didn't get a chance to respond, as Genkai immediately called for the second round to begin.

"Next fighters, step up." I shrugged the bag off my shoulder and moved forward, facing the darkness head-on and stopping just before it to turn back and see my opponent walking towards me. It was the ninja Kazemaru, the apparent bodyguard. He looked unnerved, if only slightly, and stopped beside me just inside the barrier of light.

"I've been trained not to leave my opponents alive," he began with a sideways glance, and I turned to look up at him. "But if you yield, I promise to stop."

A fighter with an honor code. Perhaps he took me for younger than I was, though thirteen wasn't exactly fighting-appropriate age for this level of battle. He did not strike me as someone I would enjoy killing, and he was not Rando. He could have a free pass, just this once.

"I suppose I can offer the same to you," I responded with a curt nod, then struck out into the abyss. I didn't miss his eyes widen at my tone, but didn't pay him any mind as I walked to stand before the Buddah statue.

I watched my opponent as he made his way close, walking in an almost circular pattern on silent feet. If I could not see so well, I might have lost track of him. He stopped several paces away, hands at his sides in a vaguely non-threatening way.

"You may begin!"

_Improvise. Don't follow a pattern._

At Genkai's order, I wasted no time. I turned in Kazemaru's direction and ran, striking out with a kick toward his gut. He grunted in surprise and jumped back, my leg passing through air. He clearly hadn't been expecting me to strike first. I didn't give him a chance to adjust to this dilemma, lunging again and unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks, forcing him back.

He tried to deal in counter blows, but was frustrated when my agility proved too much. Still, he was no slouch himself, dutifully avoiding my fists. The few times I caught cloth with my knuckles, I attempted to grab the fabric to throw him off balance, succeeding in planting my foot squarely into his gut.

He doubled over, and I surged forward to send my knee crashing into his face, but it missed narrowly. He somersaulted backwards impressively, and I gave chase.

In the few seconds it took to push him up against the far wall, I had discovered one of the knives used in the previous fight. I stabbed out at the areas I knew would not kill him, but would give me my victory.

"You're too fast for a normal kid," Kazemaru said as he dodged yet another flurry of stabs.

"Yes," I agreed, feinting left and spinning under his outstretched arm to plant the blade into his back. It never made contact, as his knee caught my stomach and sent me skidding away, knocking the air out of my lungs in the process. I would have been winded, if not for Yusuke's stamina training.

To my fellow detective, it was just a brawl, sparring for fun. But for me, I was gradually strengthening my constitution, able to take more and more blows. This man had strength I could respect, but he was no Yusuke.

I stood back up steadily, not showing a hint of the pain that was spreading through my abdomen, and began to charge the ninja once again.

Rather than his defensive position, he adopted a stance that was most unusual, gritting his teeth in concentration. His energy fluctuated, and I recognized the warning signs of an energy attack. Specifically, one like Yusuke's. The energy was building up, like loading a rock into a slingshot before setting the projectile free. I had barely enough time to throw myself to the ground before the blast came.

The white beam shot straight towards where my body had been seconds before. It was less focused than Yusuke's, taking up much more space as it was obviously meant to encompass the opponents entire body. This meant the energy was less concentrated, and likely not lethal to me. However, I did note the energy was more abundant, and despite the lack of lethality, it still burned.

A swath of it grazed the arm shielding my face, and I let out an involuntary cry of pain as I felt my skin sizzling and smelled the smoke of burning flesh. This was no bullet- it was a flamethrower.

I rolled away to minimize damage, but the attack had already been spent. My blood was singing in my ears, the sudden pain shocking my system for a moment. I couldn't move, eyes wide as I surveyed the damage.

The sleeve of my sweater was **_gone_ **up past my elbow, and my skin was missing for the most part along my forearm, leaving a cleanly cauterized red patch nearly a foot in length and an inch in width.

My eyes flicked up, detecting movement, and watched as the ninja stood with some difficulty, a hand to his likely bruised ribs.

"I should be surprised you dodged that, but I don't think I am," he said to me, but didn't approach. "You're a good fighter, and with time, maybe you'll be a great one."

My breathing hitched.

_Does he have any idea?_

_Does he have a clue, what I have been through?_

"At the very least, you forced me to use the technique I was trying to save. Someday, you'll probably surpass me."

_What I have done to get here, the dignity and agency I sacrificed._

_He probably thinks he's comforting a child who lost._

_I have not lost. I will not._

"If you give up now, I'll let you go. I'll even help you, but please, don't make me hurt you. I don't enjoy this like some others might. Please, think of yourself."

_I did offer to let him leave if he surrendered. I don't think the boys would appreciate me going back on my word…_

_So I suppose I'll kill him before he gets the words out._

I shelved my pain somewhere within my mind that was quickly running out of room, my eyes honing in on his somewhat relaxed stance. I didn't give him time to think, lunging from my spot on the floor with snake-like ferocity.

My arms assumed the sickle position, casting his face in a familiar violet light. I deftly swiped at his middle rather than for the unprotected neck, and the resulting tear of flesh was more than satisfying. He screamed out, scrambling away before dropping to the floor and clutching at his belly. The blood flowed between his fingers in several streams, barely showing up against the red of his tunic.

_"I liked this sweater."_

I raised one arm, a warning, and brandished the kamaitachi-inspired sickle.

He shifted. I surged forward.

Kazemaru jumped out of the way, likely leaving a trail of blood in his wake. It was unfortunate that I couldn't see it, but his energy provided enough of a beacon for my senses to hone in on. And so, our chase began anew, but with increased urgency. He narrowly avoided the wickedly curved blades, and his desperate attempts at disabling me were met with thin air. His fingers never came close to my throat, retracting the moment they were in danger of being bitten or sliced off.

A burst of energy localized at his feet sent him flying away from me, his stance when he landed suggesting yet another energy attack. He must have a massive store of energy, or else good enough control so as not to waste it all on one shot. Whatever his technique was, I didn't have time to learn and dissect it. I only had time to react.

Just as his energy began to build again, I had a thought. My feet carried me forward into the path of his attack, my face level with his hand. Kazemaru glared, his maw opening in a rage-filled howl.

**_"DEVIL, BURN!"_**

My vision was overtaken by white, but it wasn't as potent as the first attack had been, the energy even less dense and the radius slightly smaller. I had time to duck, but this time, I faced the threat head-on. With my arms crossed in front of me, sickles merging to make an X, I jumped.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard a familiar voice calling out my name, fear and anguish audible in the gravelly tone, but it was silenced as the white flash collided with my blades.

The sheer ringing meshed well with the almost electrical sound when, upon meeting the foreign power, my energy cut through the attack like a hot knife through butter. Sparks flew from the point of contact and my purple blades slid seamlessly through, carving a perfect path for my body to fly through.

I kept going, my momentum carrying me all the way towards my target, and the last thing I saw before slashing down with both my arms was Kazemaru's expression, wide-eyes and slack-jawed with disbelief.

He let out a guttural yelp when both blades came down, sliding across his chest and leaving his tunic in tatters. I came slightly short of my mark, missing the major arteries by centimeters, and narrowed my eyes in annoyance. My form landed as he dropped to the ground. It was clear that this time he wouldn't be getting back up, yet he continued to struggle, dragging himself back and kicking out at the ground to get away as I stood and approached.

I pulled the energy from my left arm, leaving it bare as the sickle on the right arm began to lengthen and change shape. Where before the blade was curved away from the prey, it now faced forward, optimal for a quick slice up. The tip of the scythe dug into the wood, leaving a long and uneven gouge in its wake as I dragged it across the floor.

Each step brought his labored breathing closer, and the sound of his nails scratching the planks brought to mind the scurrying rats in the walls of our first house. Even those caught in the enormous traps were never fully dead when I found them. They always struggled until the end, even when there was no hope of recovery.

"I- I yield!" He stuttered out, then repeated the statement. "I yield!"

I paused with my arm positioned comically behind my crouched figure, frozen despite the heat of my pulsing blood rushing in my ears.

His eyes, wide as a cornered rodents, twitched as they stared up at me. There was fear, plentiful agony and that delicious hopelessness that I wanted to see in all my prey. He had been well and truly defeated, and he knew it. It was there, in that look.

"You said… you would offer me the same," he panted, ragged breaths coming short and loud. "If I yield, you'll spare me."

"You ruined my sweater," I pointed out in a low voice. Hadn't he heard me before? He then had the audacity to look at me with revulsion, and I raised my arm higher, high enough that the speed I gained would ensure a clean cut.

He flinched, but his eyes never wavered.

"Will you go back on your word?"

What a funny bunch these honorable types. They imagine their own word is their law, when words are merely figments. Actions are physical and irrevocable laws that, once enacted, cannot be undone. But words? Words could be fabricated, and it took no more than walking away to pass through words. They may as well not exist, yet here are people like this man, like Kazuma, whose word is their bond.

It's senseless. Why put everything on the line because of a few noises with some easily misinterpreted meaning? Why should I follow this code? It wasn't mine to begin with, and I certainly put more stock in actions.

…

…

But when I found those rats and mice, outside their crawl-spaces and under the cabinets, I set them free. I opened the traps, and ordered them to go, and they did. That was my action, my mercy that I had lost that night. I once stood by that, but that was a time before. Could I still, after all this death? Could I choose to act on my words? To use them to spur myself on?

It's a pitiful excuse, but I had to provide my rational mind with something. There was still part of me that did not understand the action of lowering my arm and extinguishing my blades, and perhaps, if it understood my reasoning, I could follow through.

Now, in total darkness, I regarded the fallen man with a calm that was wholly foreign, and I couldn't decide if it was a comfort or not.

"I accept your surrender."

I heard him let out a sigh of relief through his haggard breaths, and saw the white image of him slump to the ground and grow dim. He was unconscious. I simply stood, watching. It had been easier than I thought, but now that I had taken one action, I had another choice. Should I help him back? He offered that to me, so it was likely expected of me. He wasn't dead, so I couldn't simply leave him there, right?

Something moved in my periphery, and I could not withhold the yelp that escaped me. The sight made my eyes nearly fall from their sockets, and for a moment, I thought I might lose my footing.

A stone giant moved.

The enormous statue that sat against the back wall reached out in the darkness, large hand carefully handling the man I had nearly slain with an unbelievable gentleness. I could only watch, frozen, as the body slowly faded from my sight, until the hand was empty and the energy had disappeared from the room completely. Then, the kami statue turned its head, expressionless face somehow staring a hole straight through me.

I dropped to the floor on my knees, pressing my forehead against the wooden planks in what was possibly the deepest bow of my life. I could only breathe as the kami's eyes pierced the back of my head.

I remained where I was, not at all inclined to move. The silence weighed heavily upon me, like a great hand steadily crushing me into the floor as the tension seemed to thicken. The darkness was void of any source of illumination, yet the kami seemed to emanate its own light that I could detect creeping at the corners of my vision.

The barely visible glow shifted slightly, accompanied by the gentle scrape of stone against stone, and I flinched at the sudden change. Then, just as quickly, the glow was gone, and the darkness once again completely enclosed me.

I took a deep breath before lifting my head, staring straight out into the void where I knew the statue to be. There was nothing, no hint that it had ever been inhabited, or that there had ever been any presence in the dark besides myself and my opponent. It was as if I'd imagined the entire thing, and perhaps the fallen ninja had been simply swallowed up by the floor. Stranger things had happened, I suppose, but this was entirely real.

_"Ru-Ru!"_ I gave a short gasp, the sound startling me, and turned to face the opposite direction. I could barely see the outline of Kazuma's aura, standing beside Yusuke's much brighter figure. All the other fighters came into focus soon enough, and I narrowed my eyes when I focused on the single spare, an energy that had not been there before and was distinctly clearer than the rest.

"I'm alright, Zu." I turned back and bent myself in two, my face nearly touching the floor in a parting bow to the place where the deity had been. I then stood, pivoting on my toes and making my way out of the darkness.

I passed through the barrier of light, the sudden brightness slightly disorienting, but managed to keep my eyes open and alert, and trained on the foreign energy. The tension left my body and I blinked in surprise, tilting my head at the newcomer.

"Botan."

The Spirit smiled cheerfully at me, giving a short wave.

"Hello there, thought I'd come along to cheer you on! Sorry I couldn't be here sooner."

I raised a brow in confusion.

"But why come at all? We don't need you here." This statement of fact was met with a pout on her part, and she crossed her arms sullenly.

"Well I was only trying to be supportive, that's what friends are for!"

I blinked, drawled slowly: "Right."

I looked to Genkai, who had taken in our interaction with about as much interest as one might expect from a crabby, impatient old woman.

"Winner, Kuwabara Hotaru."

My feet carried me over towards my small group, coming to a stop before Yusuke. He looked at me critically.

"What took you so long in there?" he asked, and I sighed, lifting a hand to rub at the back of my head. I could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on, and I was not at all looking forward to the next round of fights in the darkness, not with the kami looming over us.

"I was trying to take it easy on him. I didn't want to kill him, but I'm afraid I came very close." I caught Yusuke's shocked expression and frowned. "What?"

"You were trying _not_ to kill that guy?" His question made my brow furrow a touch.

"Yes. What's the problem?" I asked, somewhat irritated that I couldn't read his intentions this time.

"Well, it's just, you know," he mumbled, looking away awkwardly. "It's not really a 'you' thing to go easy on someone, that's all. I kinda expected you to be excited to kick someone's ass into Spirit World."

"I don't get _excited_," I pointed out with a quirked brow. I suppose I could see why he was confused, but Kazemaru wasn't my target. In fact, I'm not entirely sure why I was so unhappy with the man for ruining my clothes. The sweater was already done for by the wolf blood staining the front.

"In any case, he's not who we're after." At that, Yusuke nodded in agreement, giving the true target a sideways glance.

"Hey," Kazuma took a step forward, his eyes downcast. He was looking at my arm, I realized. "Are you okay? You were in there way after the fight ended."

I nodded, giving him a brief smile.

"Just paying my respects to the gods."

"Alright, enough with the happy reunion," Genkai snapped, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Onto the third match."

Kazuma nodded, his eyes hardening.

"Well, I guess I'm up."

I stepped aside as he made his way to the edge of the light, facing the samurai as his opponent, a shrewd looking man with an eyepatch and a long wooden sword. His sneer was somewhat unsettling as he gazed at my brother with undisguised malice.

"Kuwabara versus Musashi," Genkai intoned, and both fighters turned, striking out into the black abyss.

"Try not to get killed, Kuwabara," Yusuke shouted, and my brother looked over his shoulder at the boy with a confident grin.

"Don't worry, I have to beat _you_ before I die." With that wishful parting comment, both men disappeared, and all I could see of them were their faintly glowing auras. Musashi a faint blue-white cloud beside a swath of pale yellow, like early morning light or a polished piece of golden beryl. Sunshine was the only apt description for Kazuma, even without the telling shade of his energy.

"Don't you think he's a bit mismatched?" Botan asked worriedly, and a touch too loudly for my taste. I flashed her a brief glare, but otherwise remained quiet.

"Well, he's never been as tough as me," Yusuke admitted with a frown. "But he's got a lot of determination. I just hope that's enough to win." I nodded. If there was one thing Kazuma had in spades, it was persistence. That was usually enough to get him by in street fights, but in this setting, surrounded by killers and monsters and highly trained fighters, it might just serve as a charming, but ultimately useless farce.

The two energies stopped moving, standing not too far away from each other. It was quiet for a minute or so, and Yusuke edged closer to me. His voice quiet, he leaned down to speak directly into my ear.

"You can see in there, right? Can you tell what's going on?"

"At the moment, nothing," I replied, eyes locked on Kazuma. "They appear to be talking."

_Brother... don't let your guard down._

Just as I spoke, one of them, the stormy blue one, seemed to disappear from sight. My eyes widened, searching the area around the sunny energy rapidly.

"Musashi's energy has vanished," I informed them casually, and my voice was loud enough to attract Genkai's attention. The blue haze suddenly burst back into being, and Kazuma went down as though struck.

"He's knocked Kazuma down." Then, just seconds later: "Now he's disappeared again. It seems he can either mask of suppress his energy to nearly undetectable levels."

Yusuke looked alarmed, staring out into the darkness.

"That's possible?" he asked, eyes wide. I nodded.

"Energy manipulation has a variety of uses. Kurama described this particular technique to me during one of our visits. It's plausible that anyone can hide their energy, if they know how."

"That right?" He muttered. I nodded, turning my attention back to the fight. The noise was finally reaching my ears, as it was the rest of us, and though I didn't need to, I returned to relaying the details of the fight.

"Kazuma is being beaten around like a party balloon," I informed them. "Without his sight advantage, he's just blundering around and walking straight into Musashi's attacks."

_Attacks that do very little damage on their own. Still, too many of them could be a problem._

"Be careful Kuwabara," Botan shouted in a desperate voice. Yusuke chimed in as well, looking for all intents and purposes as though he would run out into the void to fight the samurai himself.

"Stop shouting so much, it makes you easy to find!"

"Would you guys _shut up!?_" I concealed a small grin at my brothers response, looking once again for the invisible energy of Musashi. "I'm trying to concentrate, and you're not really helping."

"Just keep in mind, you'll get no shaming from us if you yield," I called out as a reminder, and Yusuke turned to me, looking incredulous.

"What are you-" His question cut off with a grunt as my fits lodged itself firmly in his stomach.

"Not from _any_ of us," I said in a scolding tone, though that was more for Yusuke's benefit, and was more a threat than anything else.

"Beat me up all you want, old man," Kazuma said, speaking quite loudly to his opponent. "Your sissy little punches don't hurt me at all. It's just crummy chump change compared to all the days Urameshi rubbed my head into the concrete."

"It's true, I've punched him quite a few times," Yusuke admitted without a shred of remorse. I nodded my assent.

"Indeed, and I was the one who always had to deal with the aftermath." The boy shrugged, and I gave a huff of humorless laughter. I stilled then, watching the fight as it continued.

"Musashi has drawn his sword; it's emitting a faint energy all its own. He is using his own latent energy to strengthen it." The samurai attacked, and while his speed was great by human standards, I couldn't help but compare him to the demon's I'd already faced. That is to say, found it lackluster at best.

"Kazuma can't keep up. Even with his energy keeping him visible, Musashi is too fast, and the sword's power is too strong."

Genkai turned slightly, and I glanced down to see her watching me intently.

"You don't seem all that concerned. That _is_ your brother out there," she remarked, almost accusingly, and I had to wonder how she interpreted my lackadaisical tone.

"If his victory will be assured by my sobbing and shouting hysterically, I will do so," I retorted, and was rewarded with a smirk from the old woman. I returned my eyes to the battle in time to see Kazuma go crashing to the ground, his yellow-orange energy dimming as though eclipsed. The blue human shape remained for a moment before turning our direction. The fight was over. I sighed, closing my eyes in silent thanks. He had been beaten, but not killed, as was traditional.

I made to ask Genkai if I might retrieve him before the Buddha statue, but my gut pulled my eyes away from the woman, back to Kazuma, who had struggled to his feet. My teeth clenched as Musashi's energy disappeared once more.

"The idiot's still standing, he's just asking for death now," I bit out, then in a much louder voice: "Kazuma,_ give up!_"

"NO!"

Just then, Musashi and the sword reappeared, both energies brighter than Kazumas, and I took a step forward.

The eclipse ended, the sun exploding from his form to birth a newer, brighter star.

His appearance was startlingly clear to me now. I could see the individual rips and tears in his blue uniform, and the shocked grimace on his face as he held a piece of wood aloft. From that scrap of wood, there sprouted a shaft of pure energy, molten and shapeless, it surged like a constant, unsteady stream from end to end, and it caught Musashi's sword in mid-air as though solid.

My jaw dropped and I drew in a sharp breath. My chest swelled with something, possibly pride, though simple disbelief was equally likely.

"More materialization," Genkai muttered. "I had wondered if it was genetic. His technique isn't as refined as yours," she nodded to my arm, and a glance down showed that one of the violet sickles had grown of its own accord, a sure sign of my intent to step in.

"Your energy is sharp, focused. I'd wager you spent a lot of time perfecting that. His is erratic, completely instinctual." I watched the blade sink back into my arm, searching again for the burst of sunlight in the darkness.

His opponent lay on the ground, and though I missed the blow that landed him there, the effects were still obvious. Kazumas sword- for that's clearly what it was trying to be- was still held aloft, the owner looking on in mixed admiration and horror.

"Pretty cool… but how am I supposed to turn it off?"

"Kazuma, here." I walked to the edge, waving to get his attention. He looked my way as though he could see me, and maybe he could now that his full power had emerged. "If you concentrate on it, you'll be able to feel it. It's like the tickle feeling you get, remember? Just will it back inside your body, and it will go."

After a brief moment of him glaring at the energy sword, it began to shrink, growing smaller and dimmer until vanishing completely into his palm. He looked satisfied, hobbling back towards us with a determined grimace. He had to be in pain now, but I had the feeling Genkai would not allow Botan to heal him if we asked. With any luck, his own energy would get to work quickly.

"Winner, Kuwabara Kazuma."

I met my brother as he entered the light, granting him a proud smile. His face lit up instantly upon meeting my gaze and his posture straightened dramatically. He placed his fists squarely on his hips with his chest puffed out, strutting the rest of the way as though the injuries had no ill effect.

"You see that? I got the shiny light saber just like you Sis! Take _that_, Urameshi!" Botan giggled, smiling gaily in the gloom.

"I guess Kuwabara won't be so easy to beat from now on, huh?" she asked teasingly. Yusuke only snorted, rolling his eyes in spite of the wide grin stretched over his face.

"Well at least he's still ugly," came the snide remark, and Kazuma growled beside me.

"Oh yeah!? Well you'd better not get killed before our fight! I'm gonna enjoy showing you just who's the ugly one here!" It was my turn to roll my eyes. They were both still idiots.

"Like I'd miss a chance to beat you up," Yusuke retorted, cocky smirk ever-present. He rolled his shoulders one at a time, looking out into the black expanse confidently.

"Let's not waste my time," Genkai prompted irritably. "Fourth match, Kibano versus _Dimwit_." I let out a quick breath of laughter while Kazuma chortled, jerking his thumb towards the battleground.

"I think she means you," he said gleefully to Yusuke, whose eyes crinkled with mirth.

"And here I thought my name was Yusuke, or _Dolt_ depending on who you ask."

I maintained a look of perfect innocence, extending my fingers to observe my nails, which still bore the crusted blood in the beds. Looking at the evidence of my momentary compassion was enough to leave my stomach unsettled. I really did need to wash my hands soon.

Yusuke made to walk forwards, giving his opponent (the very tall man with green hair whose score on the punching machine had ranked the highest out of all contestants) a shockingly sportsmanlike look, the expression lacking his usual smugness and looking decidedly un-Yusuke.

"May the strongest man win," Kibano said ominously. He held a brown satchel with a circular shape at the bottom. Some kind of weapon, perhaps? Yusuke didn't respond, hesitating at the very edge of the light. My eyes narrowed as I had a thought, and I pushed forward to stand beside him. He gave me a curious glance from the corner of his eye as I wordlessly held out my hand. His eyes fell to my palm.

My back was to the others so they could not see what I was offering, but Yusuke knew immediately what the violet glow meant. He tilted his head with a look of mock-scolding, a hand on his hip.

"What, you really have that little faith in me?" he asked quietly, pushing my hand away at the wrist. "It'll be a walk in the park."

I blinked, pulling my energy back under my skin. I took a breath and spoke slowly, making sure to enunciate each word with a clarity and emotion even he couldn't miss.

"Please, don't die _again_."

He stared, the smile replaced with a searching gaze that I held without flinching. Though just as soon as it looked like it might respond, a voice interrupted.

"Have you decided not to fight?" Kibano's voice was calm, free of judgement as though this was what he expected, or at least what he hoped for. Yusuke turned back to give him his normal cocky smirk, and just like that he was back to his usual self.

"Ha! Not at all, I was just praying for your mortal soul." My lips twitched in response, and the mood immediately lifted, as it often did around him.

"Yusuke, stop clowning around!" Botan's shrill rebuff was well earned, and the boy chuckled in amusement.

"Moron!"

He looked back just in time, retreating a bit to avoid the object that flew at him from the space behind me. He yelped, and we both watched the cigarette disappear beyond the light barrier. We both shifted to regard the old woman with resentment, though likely for different reasons.

"Any more delay, and I'll take it as a forfeit," she barked in warning, prompting the boy to give her an impish smile.

"Gee, something tells me you're still mad about that 'grandma' comment," he remarked, beginning to shrug off the neon green jacket. "You really need to enjoy life more,_ old lady._"

The jacket hit the ground, and with a casual wave, he disappeared into the darkness.

It took a little more concentration than usual to make out his shape in the abyss. Unlike the last blueish energy I had seen within the shadows, his was luminous and turbulent, pure auroral power acting like a beacon to anything with the slightest awareness. Kibano's was equally as bright, a vivid red with the normal white undertones that marked him as a human. A very _powerful_ human.

Though, it was difficult to see his head for some reason. I squinted, peering more intently, then my eyes widened.

"H-hey, watch out for him, he's got some sort of mask on his head," Kazuma shouted in warning, and I realized that this was what he had in that bag. The two fighters were still, exchanging words for a few moments before Kibano suddenly threw himself forward, his vast figure cutting an easily seen path through the darkness. And yet, Yusuke couldn't dodge the fist that slammed into his cheek, sending him crashing to the ground like a porcelain doll.

Kibano didn't stop there. As Yusuke attempted to recover, a sharp kick to his chin kept him down. Frustration was obvious in my partners aura, the liquid flames snapping with just a touch more vitriol. He flipped (with surprising agility, I might add) out of the way just a fraction of a second before Kibano's fist shattered the wooden planks, leaving a head-sized hole in the floor. Yusuke grabbed something and threw it, but Kibano's acrobatics carried him safely out of range.

_Stay safe. Keep your distance._

"Hey! Did I at least hit you?" Yusuke hollered into the abyss, then pivoted and began running. Weather he was using his spirit awareness or his hearing, he was heading straight for his opponent with a vengeance. He struck the surprised man several times, and Kazuma let out a noise of excitement beside me. He looked on eagerly as Yusuke landed strike after strike.

_Too weak._

"Don't celebrate just yet," Genkai advised, and I concurred. Kibano didn't appear to be taking any damage. His energy didn't even flicker, and in just a second he turned the tables, sending his knee straight into Yusuke's middle. The boy was thrown back into one of the giant columns holding up the roof. I'm surprised he didn't take it down with him when he fell back to the floor. He struggled up, completely unaware as Kibano stalked him quietly.

_Focus! Just concentrate, you dolt._

"That punk's not playing fair," Kazuma growled, his face pinched in irritation. "That helmet's protecting his head from attacks."

"Real fights are never fair," I pointed out, and his glare subsided to confusion. "Despite Yusuke's insistence to the contrary, this is _not_ a Saturday morning street fight. This is a prize fight with no rules. Fair was never part of the equation." He grit his teeth, looking at me with some sort of emotion that I couldn't place.

"How can you say that? He's your friend, isn't he?" I looked away.

"Yes, and complaining about the unfairness of it all will help him out tremendously, won't it," I snapped, watching the two fighters as they stood across from each other. I doubt Yusuke even knew they were looking at one another.

"Even the best kind of armor should have a weak point," Botan offered, not that it would help.

"The only real chance is if he somehow manages to knock it off Kibano's head," I told her. "Considering how this has gone so far..." I didn't feel much like finishing that. They could draw their own conclusions. The battle, meanwhile, had resumed, Kibano drawing energy from... the air? It was acidic green, decidedly not his own, yet I could see no one else he could be drawing it from. It focused on his arm, swelling and oscillating. His aura became brighter. Worryingly so.

"Something weird is happening to Kibano's muscles," Kazuma announced.

"They're expanding," I added in awe. I'd never considered something like _this_. Botan whipped her head around to look at us both with a squawk.

"What!?"

"It's a basic enhancement," Genkai explained patiently, and I granted her my full attention. "He's pulling in energy from the matter around him, which gives him a quick boost in strength."

I frowned.

"So then its only temporary? Does it cost much of your own energy to perform it?"

She gave me a side-eyed glance, one brow raised.

"Thinking of trying it out?"

"I like to have options," I told her succinctly, and she smirked. It wasn't the sadistic look that I had come to associate with the old woman, but rather a challenging gaze, a taunt. A dare.

"Well, if you happen to win, perhaps that's something you'll learn." I could feel the light in my eyes burst into an open flame. My chest swelled with a breath of anticipation, determination suddenly finding itself thrust into my blood, setting every nerve ending on fire.

_I have to win._

... A grunt, and the sound of flesh meeting flesh, dragged my gaze back to the fight in the darkness. Yusuke's body soared through the air like a ragdoll, skidding against the floor to a stop several meters away from Kibano. I stared at his limp form as he tried with shaky arms to lift himself back up. But he failed, his head dropping back to the wood with a clear look of pain.

_You dolt!_

"Has Yusuke... been beaten?" Botan trembled fearfully. I took a threatening step forward, my eyes never leaving my fallen friend.

"Get back up, _now_!" I shouted at him, though I didn't know if he could even hear me. Was he conscious anymore? "Rest if you must, but do _not_ give in. Concentrate, and use your head. I know you're capable."

Because even though Kibano's vivid, violent energy was a strong presence in the void, Yusuke was a beacon. A shining blue star that threatened to light the entire world around him on fire. He wasn't an idiot, though he put up a very convincing front. He could think his way out of this. Of that I was confident. That is, if he could even stand after a hit like that.

I watched, hardly breathing.

Aquamarine. That was the exact color and shade of his energy. Aquamarine.

It rolled over him like waves on the shore, steadily thrumming as he forced himself to his feet. He stumbled just once, facing his enemy with a hard-set look. His energy, though dimmer now, still coursed through his form readily, waiting. It hadn't diminished as much as it appeared. It had merely condensed, pulling closer to his body to act as a shield. Was he doing this, or was that instinctual?

"Come on Urameshi, you'd better not die," Kazuma shouted out in his best attempt at encouragement.

"He can't go on like this," Botan voiced, coming up beside me quickly. "He's going to get himself killed!"

I shook my head.

"He's more resilient than you think. He won't go down so easily. Trust me, I would know."

Behind us, Genkai chuckled.

"You're right about that. Your friend has rather unique energy." I glanced back, and she looked up at me with that same smirk. "Kibano seems to think that idiot is almost out of energy, but he's wrong. With that mask, his awareness is limited by his expectations. Any normal person's power would have gone down after such an attack, so that's what Kibano sees. But it seems that brat 's energy is on a completely different wavelength. It responds to desperation by getting stronger."

She looked back at Yusuke, and I did the same.

"He could win if he could see."

Could that explain it? His power was linked to his emotional state. The more desperate he got, the stronger he would become. Was that his secret? Was that seriously the reason I could never beat him? _Emotions!?_

"Unbelievable," I heard myself growl. To think, my own strength that I had built upon for years, my skills I had honed so faithfully over the course of my life, nothing could compare to the power granted by his humanity. It was insulting! He didn't even have to try, it just came to him as easily breathing. His strength, his power, it was all natural, unlabored and unearned. Of course my only real flaw was his source of power.

... Then, I deflated.

That was it. He was my goal. He was what I aspired to be, the perfect human. He may not have worked for his power, but he more than deserved it, as all those who were truly good deserved their strength. When I was finally his equal, it would not be because I defeated him. Rather, it would be because I finally understand him. And when that day came, I would only have him to thank. He was...

Holding something? I peered closer, squinting to see the small object pinched between his fingers. What on Earth...

Kibano suddenly struck, but Yusuke was prepared. He leaned back, turning his cheek to take the least damage and allowing his opponent the appearance of the upper hand. He grabbed onto Kibano's arm, a wide grin stretching across his face. Triumph laced his voice, which was loudly proclaiming his victory.

"Now it's over," he crowed in a very theatrical way. "See, this is all a part of my plan! Next, I'm gonna break your arm!"

_What?_

"Yeah, do it!" Kazuma hollered ardently. "Then stomp on his face!"

But... he was holding the arm wrong. Surely he knew that, he'd broken arms before, I'd seen him do it. I'd _helped_ him do it. His blindness shouldn't have affected his awareness of the human body, I would think.

"Not a bad idea," Kibano grunted. "If I wasn't already a master of every martial art, including grappling!"

And the giant man swung Yusuke up into the air, using his arm like a bolo string to spin him over his head, launching Yusuke like a rock from a slingshot. The boy bounced off the wall, coughing out a spray of blood as he returned to his semi-permanent residence, the floor. I raised a brow, content to watch this plan of his play out. It was decent, if not a complete stroke of luck. Then again, Yusuke had a history of good luck.

"If he's far away, he can't see, and if he's up close, the guy uses Judo moves on him!" I leaned down casually to pick up Yusuke's jacket, dusting off the neon green fabric while Kazuma fretted. "What's he supposed to do!?"

"The only way I see Yusuke winning now is with the Spirit Gun," Botan voiced, magenta eyes fixed on the boy in the darkness. "But still, it's impossible! He'd never be able to make an exact hit!" ]

"Who cares?" Genkai, her voice gruff and irate, reprimanded harshly. "Stop dwelling on 'what-ifs'. The reality is that he can't see, and he's about to get canned." I certainly hoped she was wrong.

"You'd better get up Urameshi! I'm not gonna let you run out on me again!"

I listened quietly, the only thing keeping the smile from my lips being the thought that perhaps he didn't have enough energy to see his plan through. If it looked like he might be in trouble, I would have to step in. Tournament prize or no, there was no way I would let Yusuke leave us again. Here, now, for something like this? In front of Kazuma? Not a chance.

Yusuke stood again, with significantly less struggle than the last time. He and Kibano exchanged words I could not hear, and at one point, the large man opened up a part of his mask, right over his ear. My immediate thought would have been to slap the exposed vulnerable area, but Yusuke would not be able to see that accurately.

After a few moments, the possible target was again concealed by the mask, and Kibano once more pulled the energy into his arm. He charged Yusuke, whose hunched over stance provided excellent cover for his hands. The man came around behind my partner, pushing into a jump, fist on a direct path for the boys head. The momentum would surely kill Yusuke, or at least knock him out cold. However, Kibano never got the chance, as Yusuke turned with a grin and pointed a single, deadly finger at his target.

"_Spirit Gun!_"

The bullet of aquamarine tore through the void like a comet through empty space, leaving not but stardust and a very smug teenage boy in its wake. It collided with the metal mask, cutting through it to impact the head of the man underneath. The helmet fractured and broke into pieces, falling to the ground just moments before the gargantuan body. The opponents energy all but vanished, the acidic green glow completely extinguished by now. Only now did Yusuke's stance falter, his arms falling to his sides in exhaustion.

Kibano lifted his head as though to try and get back up, but I could see he was spent. He looked down at Yusuke's prompting to behold the culprit of his demise. The single, small thing that had ensured his defeat.

A lit cigarette.

Echoing in my ears were the celebratory cheers of Kazuma and Botan. Kibano's head dropped back to the ground, the darkness completely overtaking him and blocking my senses. Yusuke wouldn't notice, even if he hadn't turned around immediately to come back into the light. He approached, wearing a pained smirk even as Genkai announced his victory in a way that made her sound exhausted.

"Winner, The Dimwit."

* * *

**Holy crap, that was a busy chapter! All four fights stuffed into one, but it makes more sense when you're viewing it from only one perspective. The show gives you everyone's take on things, including both fighters each fight. There are inner dialogues and reaction shots that you just don't get when you're seeing the perspective of one person, so it was a lot easier than you might think. The hard part was squeezing that last fight in. If I hadn't, this arc would have run on for an extra chapter. As it is, I predict three more until the official end of the arc, unless I skip something.**

**So yeah, a lot happened here. We got some interactions, we got some learning experiences, and we got a bit more personality from everyone. Place your bets now, who's gonna win the tournament. Right now, it's anybody's game. Hell, maybe it's Kuwabara's turn to learn the Spirit Wave and be the hero! Maybe Wonder Boy Yusuke will prevail as dictated by canon. Maybe Hotaru steals the victory at the last moment! Who can say?**

**Meow for now!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Hey, look, I'm on EST, so it's technically still Wednesday. Also, I'm ashamed to admit that I have been neglecting this story for a couple weeks. I had an idea of where to go with it, but I wasn't really entirely sure how I was gonna do it. Also, I got distracted by some really good DBZ fanfics, so there's that. Piccolo is bae.**

**Then I started writing and it just... went places. I got it done, thats what's important. Two more chapters guys! Now on with the "sho." **

* * *

_Taught by the powers that preach over me,_  
_I can hear their empty reasons._  
_I wouldn't listen, I learned how to fight._  
_I opened up my mind to treason._  
_But just like the wounded, and when it's too late_  
_They'll remember. They'll surrender._  
_Never a care for the people who hate._  
_Underestimate me now._

_But a shot in the dark,_  
_One step away from you._  
_Just a shot in the dark._  
_Nothing that you can do._  
_Just a shot in the dark,_  
_Always creeping up on you._

_-Shot in the Dark- Ozzy Osbourne_

**At the End of the Tunnel **

"Now this is interesting," Mab observed the screen, a look of delicate surprise on her face. She lounged on the small sofa that had been provided for her, catlike in her intensive observation paired with lackadaisical posture.

"What is it?" She ignored Koenma, choosing instead to give the room yet another look.

It was the first time in nearly twenty years she had been permitted outside her cell. The lack of security (the two sub-demons outside the door hardly qualified as more than wall ornaments) was astounding. If she had so much as thought about stepping out before, the SDF would have been by her side in minutes. Not that they would have given her much of a challenge, but it was still something of a novelty not to be surrounded by armed guards.

She relaxed against the arm of the chaise, finally granting the tiny prince her attention. Ah, his eyes so wide and searching were something wondrous. The amount of trust he was placing in her… the adorable little fool. Truly, what was he thinking, giving her such freedom?

_"Maaab!"_ He whined at her. _Whined_, like an impatient child who believes themself to be so safe that complaining is permitted. What a wonder he could be sometimes. The sub-demon attendant, or she supposed those people were called ogres now, leaned in politely, just barely encroaching upon her space.

"Lady Mab? Is everything alright?" Mab tilted her head with a manufactured smile.

"Everything is just fine, I apologize. All these new rooms and scenery, my mind tends to wander. Fairies are _flighty_ creatures, you know." She returned her black eyes to the people on the television. How far Spirit World technology had come.

"I imagine this is very different for you," Koenma offered. "But what is it you were saying was so interesting?" She smirked to herself. Children, so impatient.

"Since passing beneath the torii arches at the base of the temple, the Yaksha's hold has been decreasing steadily." His eyes widened hopefully. "That isn't to say it's been anything terribly substantial. Two percent in the last five hours is nominal, really."

His face scrunched in consternation, tiny nose wrinkled as his thoughts raced.

"But the last time she had a jump like that, you said it could be dangerous. Is she unstable?"

Mab gave an elegant nod in the negative, reaching for a cup of something steaming that was offered to her by the sub… by the ogre. Well, the name 'sub-demon' wasn't particularly flattering. She could understand why they felt the need to change it. Though 'ogre' really wasn't that much better.

The vapors rising to her cheeks smelled of chocolate, and a careful breath assured her that it was not poisoned. That would have been quite a laughable attempt on the Prince's part, though it only further displayed his lack of caution.

"On the contrary, she's very stable. The first time, it was a sudden increase. This kind of gradual, steady growth is much more manageable. I only find it surprising, though I suppose being surrounded by human psychics like she is it's understandable. All that energy…" She sipped the drink. Whatever it was, it was a far cry from the poor excuse for tea she had been allowed before.

"Then it might be better for her to learn from Genkai," Koenma mused, eyes narrowed in thought. "She's smarter than Yusuke anyways, and if her energy continues to grow-"

She let him blather on, his palpable excitement hardly anything of note. Instead, she focused on the interaction between the girl and boy. _He really was a good choice_, she thought to herself with a smile. He was strong for his age, with a very potent energy that was only amplified by a personality endearingly short of obnoxious. He was an acquired taste, she discovered, but she could understand how the young girl had become so attached so quickly.

His humanity… it was blinding. Looking into his soul was akin to staring too long at the sun. He would have been quite a prize back in her day, and that was no lie. He may have even started wars with a soul like that.

It really was no surprise.

* * *

"That was close," Yusuke commented as he emerged from the darkness. I nodded, offering him his jacket back after a quick once-over. Aside from the expected bruising and the odd cut here and there, he appeared to be alright. Nothing was broken, in any case.

"Where'd you learn to be so tricky?" Kazuma asked suspiciously, looking the other boy up and down as if to reassess him.

"It's probably from being a kid thinking up reasons why he didn't come to class," Botan teased, and I offered a huff of laughter as an agreement.

"Probably that, or maybe he's been around me long enough to learn through osmosis." This earned me a tinkling giggle from Botan, who hid her laughter behind dainty fingers.

"But hey, what was that glow-ball you fired at him?" Kauma leaned forward intently, his eyes curious. "Is it like my sword thing? Ru-Ru's got that too, but yours is different." He spoke, and I couldn't help but glance down at his hands as he did. That had been most impressive. Something like that could be trained, and with the proper study, he could mold that power into a force to be reckoned with.

"That's my Spirit Gun. It's like a big explosion of my spirit energy," Yusuke explained, and Kazuma frowned, fists on his hips.

"So you've got a gun, and we've got swords. Don't you think we're cheating?" I rolled my eyes. Of course he would think something like that.

"Oh don't worry, Kuwabara," Botan assured him, patting his arm comfortably with a cheery smile. "Just think of these weapons as extensions of yourselves!" I nodded.

"She's right. Apart from that, Genkai's already given us permission to use weaponry. Your hopelessly convoluted honor code aside, that wouldn't be cheating by tournament rules." I waved my hand dismissively, then gave a dry look, pointing at Kazuma's chest. "In any case, I wouldn't call what you have a sword, it's too dull. It's more like a bat or a club- a _bokutō_ at most."

He made a noise of indignance somewhere between a squawk and a growl, but a sharp clap stole our attention. We all turned to face Genkai, who stood just in front of the last remaining contestant, the only outsider of the entire group.

The target.

"Alright kiddies, let's start the semi-finals." Not a moment to rest. That was alright with me.

"You wanna at least throw another cigarette or something?" Yusuke tried, looking none too pleased at this news. The old woman's face didn't change.

"No, we won't be fighting the semi-finals in here." She took a step to the side, and the entire room was suddenly set ablaze with blinding sunlight when the doors opened most conveniently. It was far more powerful than the measly lamp, though that lamplight had once been something of a beacon.

I shielded my eyes when the others did, noting through cracked fingers that Genkai gave no visible reaction to the sudden change in brightness.

"Follow me," she instructed, turning to leave almost immediately. It took a moment for us to begin trotting after her, but I stopped after only a few steps. Choices were once more laid before us, and our time to act was limited.

There were three of us against the single demon, not that I would allow him anywhere ear Kazuma after the gut feeling that had disturbed me earlier. Should we continue to compete for the sake of the facade, or was it better to team up on him now? On the one hand, Genkai was likely to disqualify us if we broke protocol, and neither of us would be permitted to learn her technique. On the other, the possibility of Kazuma facing Rando was greater, should we allow the tournament to continue. There was every chance he would be paired with the demon. If that happened, the next move was obvious.

Movement behind me was not as alarming as it should have been. Nor was the rough hand that fell on my shoulder.

"What are we thinking?" Yusuke asked in a low voice, his breath right beside my ear. I frowned, humming in thought.

"It would be best… to wait and see the lineup for the next match," I finally decided. "If one of us has to fight Rando next, we continue playing the game here. If Kazuma is set to fight him…" I trailed off to allow him time to fill in the blanks for himself.

"Then we team up. Sounds like a plan." We were in agreement.

"Hey, what's the holdup?" I blinked, lowering my hand for a moment to see Kazuma squinting back at us, face pinched in a grimace from the shock of the sun. The other two stopped just ahead of him, looking back quizzically. I shook my head.

"Nothing at all."

We joined them at the door, all of us stepping out of the blackout room and setting forth back onto the path. Yusuke approached Kauma with a sly grin.

"Just trying to get Taru to back out before I embarrass her," He joked, taunting my brother in a well-executed interruption. As expected, all attention was now on the two boys as they engaged in pseudo-wrestling, and no further thought would be given to our brief conversation.

"Cut it out, you morons!" Genkai barked. I rolled my eyes and fell into step behind the old psychic as the boys disengaged, shooting half-hearted glares at one another. My gaze traveled ahead towards Genkai, and stopped when they reached a red torii. I realized with a frown that this was going to take us back up the same flight of stairs we used to get to the temple in the first place. Would the final battles be at the shrine itself?

I shifted the strap of my bag, noting for a moment how much lighter it had gotten after the boys and I had our snacks, and also realizing someone had probably taken what was left of my water. That weight was missing too now, and the culprit was most likely wearing green. I briefly wondered if Botan was hungry and if her body even required the basic human needs, but quickly decided I didn't care enough to ask.

"What's that?" Botan, walking directly beside me, was staring at me. More accurately, she was looking down at my blouse. Her squinty eyes widened suddenly and a grin split her cheeks. "Oh, it's _adorable_!"

Her hand invaded my space with the unsettling speed of a girl on a mission, her fingertips just brushing my throat- _step back, grab the hand, twist and snap the arm, palm-strike to the nasal cavity_\- Stop. It's only Botan.

"I didn't realize you even _owned_ something this cute," she gushed obliviously, face growing closer than I was comfortable with as she admired the horrendous pendant Kazuma had gifted me. I _gently_ slapped the offending hand away, attempting to shove the thing back under my sweater. How had it even become visible?

"It was a present from my brother," I explained in a clipped tone, hoping to end the conversation.

There was suddenly another hand, larger and darker in color than the first, knuckles pressing into my skin with all the delicacy of an excavator run by a blind man. The necklace was ripped from under my collar and exposed to the light yet again. I raised a brow, giving Yusuke a look of mild annoyance. He, however, looked down in some sort of disgusted amusement.

"Holy _crap_ that's ugly! Jeez Kuwabara, I thought your whole cat obsession was weird before! This is just sad!" He grinned impishly as Kazuma fumed. "What, you got matching necklaces or something? Let me guess, yours is black, a whole yin-yang kitty cat thing?"

"Shut it Urameshi!" Kazuma stomped over to grab Yusuke's shirt, hauling him almost off his feet. Yusuke was nearly doubled over in laughter.

"Oh come on, it's gross! You don't actually like that thing, right?" The boy turned watery brown eyes to me, and I narrowed my gaze coldly.

"I like it just fine, thank you," I replied, and made the conscious decision not to tuck it back under my clothes. I stalked after Genkai and Rando, who hadn't given the scene much more than a cursory glance. That was perfectly alright. The less of a threat Rando perceived, the easier it would be to take him by surprise later. Even after watching our fights, if he saw us as quarreling amateurs, he may be inclined to be less cautious.

"For real, Taru, I can _not_ take you seriously with that thing," Yusuke caught up, having disentangled himself from Kazuma's grasp. "It looks like something Koenma would wear, if he was a girl!"

The heat on my cheeks spoke of embarrassment I refused to acknowledge, but I wouldn't dignify his childishness with a response. I continued to ignore him, and he predictably turned his teasing on Kazuma, their banter fading into background noise.

"Well _I_ think it's cute," Botan offered with a smile. Internally, I growled. "Say, if I remember correctly, you've got a cat, right? We should get her a little charm for her collar to match!"

"Mami doesn't have a collar, she's an indoor cat," I replied tersely.

"Oh, that's such a cute name," Botan expressed, hands clutched to her chest in a swooning fashion. "And she's so friendly! I'll bet she'd let you dress her up in just about anything, huh? A collar shouldn't be so bad."

I closed my eyes in a slow, calming blink.

"She doesn't go outside the house. She doesn't need a collar." This conversation was pointless. Why was I still talking?

"But it could be more like an accessory," the reaper insisted, miming a necklace around her slim, breakable neck. "It can even be pink! You like pink, right?"

"It's what I'm wearing," I pointed out. Pink, and ruddy brown now that the blood had dried.

"Pink, with the little kitty charm and a bell! Or maybe a ribbon tied into a bow on the neck," a finger tapped her chin as her mind wound in devious patterns. I glanced back at the boys, whose bickering had effectively taken their attention off me. In front, Genkai and Rando couldn't be bothered to spare us a glance. No one was looking. I could slit her throat and hide her under a bush before any of them even knew what was happening.

She beamed at me, smiling more brightly than a bonfire.

I felt very tired.

* * *

"What is this place!?"

Our group stared out onto a vast expanse of land, a swamp that seemed to stretch for miles, sparsely dotted with dead or dying skeleton trees. A heavy, green-tinted mist hovered over the damp grass as the smell of rot and mildew permeated what air was left unaffected. Like the forest before, this place held an energy of its own, though significantly less malicious.

Less malicious, but no less eerie. The fog wasn't the only heavy aspect of the marshland. The weight of raw _emotion_ was stifling, threatening to pull any who could feel it under the pressure of immeasurable pain. There was a great, powerful sorrow here, an anger that I had not encountered even within the most restless of spirits.

"This will be your new battleground," Genkai replied to Kazuma's question, an audible smirk in her voice. "It was the site of an ancient battle. An entire army was overcome by madness. Thousands of soldiers lost their minds and attacked their own men. The restless souls of the killers and their victims now fill this place, and wander aimlessly in search of the war they never fought."

Even drowning in the ghosts pain, I could still feel the spike of fear that pierced through the haze. It seemed Kazuma too understood the depth of agony these souls endured, and clearly it unsettled him. He scrambled back, closer to the pitiful shelter that Yusuke and Botan could provide.

"I'm starting to see things I never wanted to see- why the heck did I even come here?" He fretted, and I could admit that the atmosphere was somewhat off-putting. However, the decayed spirits that remained were all but gone, faded shadows of imprints against the air. They could no longer call out for help. Ghosts of ghosts, echoes of echoes. They had no desires, no business left unfinished. It was long forgotten in their meanderings over the uneven terrain.

They stared silently, eyes only registering the change in their environment as a mild curiosity. Their armor, ancient and rustic, swayed and whipped in a breeze that only they could feel. Were we ghosts to them, I wonder?

"On this hillside, spirit energy begins to overtake the body," Genkai explained, ignoring my brothers worries. "It is perhaps the best place on Earth to use spirit power, and so the best place for your fight."

I glanced back towards Yusuke, blinking in surprise as my senses detected the rise in his energy. My own fluctuated in response as his began to grow once again at a steady pace. Then, suspiciously, I glanced back at the spirits.

"Their energy is becoming ours," I stated, watching as one of the men dissolved into silvery dust, his unblinking eyes either uncaring or unaware that he was being erased from existence. The slight glimmer of a string floated almost invisibly through the air, like a tiny thread of spider silk, and latched onto my arm. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to notice the rise in my own power.

"They are dying."

Genkai frowned.

"They are already dead. Unable to move on, their souls remain trapped on Earth until their energy is dispersed or consumed. All we are doing is speeding up that process." I nodded, watching as yet another man, this time one upon a horse, was reduced to silver strings. The animal followed suit.

I think then I felt… something. Looking at these specters, like footprints in the sand, turned something in my chest to lead. It felt heavy, and cold. It wasn't pleasant.

"Well Yusuke? How do you feel?" I turned at Botan's question, watching as the teen attempted to focus his power into his fingertip. I watched the energy shimmering under his skin as it made its best efforts to comply, but it ultimately failed.

"You used up too much, there isn't enough there," I told him. He growled, shooting me a half-hearted glare, but that soon morphed into a look of worry.

"She's right. I'm feeling some of it coming back, but there's no way it's enough to use my Spirit Gun."

That was troubling. Without his primary weapon, he was a sitting duck. If he were to fight now, it was almost certain that he would lose, possibly even against Kazuma. Yet another choice might lay before me today. Should Yusuke fight next, I could give him my own power, but risk losing later myself. Or I could allow him to fight, observe, and take out Rando immediately after his win.

And lose Yusuke in the process.

"Alright, I think we've had enough time," Genkai began, and the chill that seemed to settle over us had little to do with those decaying spirits. The old woman gazed out on the open field, her attention straying my way as she spoke her next words.

"Our next match will be Kuwabara versus Kuwabara."

And even the wind seemed to freeze.

...

"_What!?_ Y-you mean I have to-" Kazuma stared at me, mouth hanging open in horror.

This wasn't what I had in mind… but it could work. I nodded, shaking myself from the state of shock and moving to face my brother. He stared down at me with fearful eyes, hands coming up almost defensively.

"No way! I can't fight my own sister!"

Genkai frowned, but there was a certain absence of spite in her eyes.

"Then you forfeit?" she asked condescendingly. Kazuma flashed her a look that was something between loathing and disgust. He opened his mouth to speak, and I cut in before he could get whatever idiotic words he was thinking out into the open air.

"Zu, I want you to fight me."

A fish may have crawled up on land and started flapping its lips to gasp for air, or else Kazuma was doing a very good imitation of such. His incredulous eyes bugged, posture slipping.

"Huh!?" I blinked slowly, my gaze never leaving his.

"I want you to fight me," I repeated slowly. It took a moment for him to come to terms with that declaration, and I could see the moment it did, when his resolve hardened and he drew himself back up straight.

"No way. A real man doesn't beat up on girls, and especially not his sisters." I clenched my teeth as those words washed over me again for the second time in my life. They made me feel exactly as they did before. Proudly disappointed.

"A real man doesn't run from battle just because he views himself and his opponent as unequal." He crossed his arms defiantly, eyes narrowed harshly.

"He does when there's no point in fighting," he retorted, and I shrugged.

"I suppose you're right on that front. It's not like you have a chance at victory anyway." I didn't expect that to work, and it didn't. Though he flinched, it only steeled him further.

"You're baiting me, and it's not gonna work. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're right, you're not. You couldn't hurt me if you tried, and so I am asking you to try. A real man wouldn't deny his sister the one thing she asks of him."

He opened his mouth. Then he closed it. It opened again and closed, following this pattern a few more times as he attempted to form a rebuttal.

"I… I can't-" he tried.

"You can," I interrupted strongly, stepping perhaps too far into his personal space. He took a half-step back. "And you will, or you forfeit the right to call me your sister."

The fish returned, only it was dead. Its lips seemed as though they might never close.

"I will not be associated with a coward too afraid to call me his equal, and I will not respect he who will run from me. You will fight me, or you are no longer my brother."

I gave him his choices, and he looked at them with dismay. I stepped back, turning away from him to refuse whatever he might say to make a compromise. I kept my eyes locked forward on the remains of the ghost army, my feet carrying me into their midst.

Passing them by was their death sentence, as the last of them faded into the air without a sound. The field was left open and clear of the walking corpses, though more were doubtlessly still wasting away in the water beneath my feet. They fled from the sight of the battle, all those fortunate enough not to be absorbed by the living.

I reached twenty paces into the marsh, pivoting on my toes and standing with my arms crossed. Waiting.

Nearly black eyes stared me down, and even from this distance I could see that regrettable agony as his honor warred with itself. It was an unfortunate side-effect, but a necessary one. All he needed to do was follow me onto the battlefield. It was simple, fifteen or so paces for him, hardly anything compared to my twenty.

I stared back, cold and impassive. There was no regret, and no weakness for me to display. It was, by many accounts, the first time I ever let him see me. I only hoped he wasn't afraid of what he saw.

"You're wasting my time," Genkai snapped at him angrily, looking dangerously close to sending him back down the mountainside with her impressive set of smokers lungs. "Either you fight, or you forfeit."

He flinched, lips trembling as he gazed down at his hands. I felt my brow furrow just a touch. If she continued to frighten him… Then I blinked, feeling owlish as Yusuke's form interrupted my vision. However, he wasn't looking at me. His hard, doe-brown eyes were locked on my brother, lips turned up in the strangest of smiles I had seen on his face yet. What was in that expression of his? Acceptance? Comfort? Pain, even? It was a grimace of… something.

He spoke softly and with his head turned so I could not read his lips.

Kazuma's eyes flashed in surprise, now staring at the other boy. Yusuke offered a smirk. Zu looked back down at his hands. His face drew tight, lips pursed and eyes shiny. I took a breath of the rotting air, shutting my eyes with a gentle flutter.

* * *

_The tiny toddler of a boy looked into his mother's arms, barely able to contain his curiosity. The older sister stood beside him, her expression one of an unusual interest, at least unusual for her. They both leaned in, though the boy had to be held back to protect the object of interest from being too crowded._

_Swaddled in pink, situated neatly and perfectly into the arms of the woman, a pale-skinned infant slept. A tuft of impossible red crowned the top of its head, and from just beneath the fabric poked two tiny hands, fingers curled in a defenseless fist._

_"When is she gonna wake up?" the sister asked, just a hint of irritation in her voice. The mother chuckled warmly, careful not to jostle the baby._

_"She'll wake up when she's ready," the woman responded, patience exuded by her smiling eyes. The boy paid them no heed, as he was yet too young to understand what was being said. He instead stared down at the tiny face, smaller than his own. Faces had eyes, though. Where were the eyes?_

_He poked the face._

_"Gentle, Kazuma," his mother chided calmly. Calm, warm, gentle, mother. It was so nice here, but where were the eyes? It was confusing. Everything was still the same, but now there was a face with no eyes! Where were the eyes?_

_He poked the face._

_Eyes?_

_He ran tiny, stubby fingers over where they should be._

_Eyes!?  
_

_Then a noise startled him, and his whole body jerked in surprise. Sudden, weird, scary! No eyes! He cried, loudly. It was all so confusing, and terrifying. He had no way to know what was going on, and this little face wasn't following the rules of what he already knew._

_But as he cried, and his sister behind him shushed him very loudly herself, he happened to look down. The crying began to die._

_Eyes._

_Big._

_Blue._

_Eyes._

_Blue was the best color. He liked blue, and now there were eyes! Big Blue Eyes!_

_Then the eyes were gone again, and the mouth opened, and the baby began to wail. The cries of the boy started up again. The sister groaned and covered her ears. The mother frowned in concern, a hand on the boys head drawing him into an awkward embrace. The father, in the doorway, snorted at the predicament. He shook his head._

_"Well, that's one way to introduce yourself, Hotaru."_

**_… … …_**

_The little boy stood with one foot balanced precariously on the short dresser, and one resting against the bars of the crib. He looked down with a huge smile._

_Big Blue Eyes looked right back up._

_"Hi Eyes," he said, like a mantra repeating every few seconds. "mmmmmBlue! Hi Eyes! Blue!"_

_Big Blue Eyes said nothing. She blinked and wiggled a little, fists swinging and mouth contorting around the pink sucker. Kazuma leaned down, taking his own blue sucker from his mouth and dropping it right beside her head. He pulled away and looked at her expectantly._

_Big Blue Eyes didn't even look at his gift. She just kept kicking, and sucking on the pink sucker._

_He twisted his lips in thought, then reached down. He tore the pink one out of her mouth and placed it right beside its blue twin. She looked concerned, and surprised. Her eyes, big and blue, started to tear up and close. He panicked._

_A whine built in the back of her throat, and he bent over and reached in a third and final time, taking the blue sucker and pushing it past her lips. She paused in her mission of crying, the confusion setting in once more._

_Then, the eyes relaxed, looking back up, and his gift was accepted. He grinned._

_"Kazuma!"_

_He startled far too easily, jolting and losing his footing. He tipped over and crashed to the ground, his strong grip shaking the crib but not bringing it down with him. The shock set in, and as warm, slim hands started to help him up, he began to cry._

_Above him where he could no longer see her, Big Blue Eyes started to cry too. Clearly, she was just as unhappy with their separation as he was._

**_… … …_**

_"Go pick out something for your sister," Mother encouraged, pointing at the section with lots of colorful things and blinky lights and soft blankets. Kazuma toddled over, the woman hovering only a few paces behind, just in case. He didn't understand "just in case" yet, and he wouldn't for a while. He understood that there was a birthday._

_Not for him. That made him sad, but it was for Ru-Ru, so he was less sad._

_He looked, picked things up, put them down, and looked more. After hours and hours (about ten seconds) of looking at things, he grabbed something soft and blue. He sprinted (trotted) back over to his mother and held it up. She smiled, but it was strained._

_"No sweetie, not something for you. For Hotaru, okay?" He shook the toy, holding it higher._

_"Ru-Ru! She want a blue kitty!" Mother raised a brow._

_"Kazu, you have to get something for a girl. You can't say it's for her just so that you can get another kitty. Come on, let's look some more. Mommy will help you."_

_Frustration, anger. Very unhappy was that little boy. His face reddened enough that one could compare him to a vegetable patch, with orange carrots on top and a giant tomato below. He looked around for Father. Maybe he could show Father, and Father will say yes. But Father was gone. He glared up at his mother._

_"No! Ru-Ru got blue eyes! She want blue!"_

_The mother adopted a stern look._

_They didn't end up getting the kitty, and by the time the girls birthday party came around, he forgot the thing even existed. But he did get to pick out a pretty lace dress, and it was soft._

_And most importantly, it was blue._

**_… … …_**

_Kazuma sat peering at his mothers hands. The slim fingers tangled in strands of red-orange as they twisted and weaved Ru-Ru's hair. Hair was so weird, but Ru-Run had nice hair. It was soft, and straight, and past her shoulders. It was princess hair._

_Shizuru sat on Mothers other side, watching with that same interest that was so unusual, honey eyes locking every tuck and twist into her memory as the straight hair became bumpy and small, but so, so pretty._

_"Alright honey, you try now. Be gentle, just work slow."_

_Hotaru didn't seem to mind or care as she was turned to the left, fidgeting with the action figure Kazuma had been playing with. He didn't mind giving it up. He liked watching her anyways. She moved the arms and legs and smiled as the superhero flew around the airspace beneath her face._

_The little boy watched as his older sister began to weave the hair, but the angle was wrong and he couldn't see it properly, so he went back to watching Ru-Ru. He leaned forward, pointing at the toy man._

_"Blue Ranger," he said, and she smiled. She already knew what the toy was, he told her a hundred times._

_"Zu!" She brandished the toy, and he laughed. He was the Blue Ranger. She always had to be the Pink Ranger, because mother told them so. Shizuru was Yellow Ranger sometimes, but she was Red Ranger sometimes too. Sometimes she was Bad Guy. Mother was People, and Father was there sometimes._

_Shizuru smiled._

_"Finished."_

_Mother grinned broadly._

_"Perfect! You're so good at this!"_

_Excitedly, Kazuma scooted around so he could see. Two bumpy roped made of hair were on Ru-Ru's head now, and they were both so pretty. He reached forward and touched. A hand stopped his._

_"Gentle, Kazuma," Mother chided calmly. He pouted, then pointed._

_"Can I try?" The mother and older sister looked at each other strangely, then Mother laughed._

_"Kazu, why do you want to do that? You're a boy, sweetie, boys don't do that." He frowned._

_"But I wanna. Wanna make Ru-Ru pretty, please? Please, please please!" He bounced and clapped, and Hotaru, seeing her brothers energetic movement, started bouncing too, and imitating him._

_"Please, please, please," she chanted with him, and the mother sighed._

_"Alright, but later sweetie, okay? Mommy's tired now." Kazuma nodded emphatically. Later always happened, because Later wasn't a No, and it wasn't a Maybe. Mother stood and dusted off her legs, and Kazuma ran to grab Pink Ranger from his toy box._

_"I'm going to go take a nap, Shizuru watch the kids?" Shizuru's face contorted briefly, but Mother was already walking out. The oldest child sighed, and glared down at the smallest, youngest child there._

_Hotaru turned and fixed her with a cheery smile, blue eyes squinty._

_"Thank you," she said simply, shaking her head so that the two braids flopped and swung around._

_Shizuru's glare softened. It was okay, the kids weren't so bad anyways._

_Kazuma returned with an armful of Rangers and dumped them in front of the little girl. Just as he made to kneel down, excited words already forming on his lips, Shizuru stopped him._

_"Hey, Kazu, I'll show you how to make Ru's hair pretty if you want." The eleven-year-old girl's heart skipped a beat as her brother looked at her like she'd told him they were going to Tokyo Disney._

_"Really!?" He was loud! Shizuru cast a worried glance at the door._

_"Shush! Yeah, but we have to be quiet so we… don't wake up mom. She needs her nap." After quietly situating the boy next to her, Shizuru guided his hands over their little sisters hair._

_"Gentle, okay?" she reminded him. His hands were big and clumsy for his size, and to make sure he didn't tug any strands from the scalp (and make Hotaru cry, which would wake up Mother), Shizuru was extra careful to hold onto the top of whatever part he was working on._

_He put his hands down a few minutes later, looking very unhappy._

_"It's ugly," he pointed out, and Shizuru sighed. Then, she gave a weary smile. She wished she could take a nap too._

_"It's okay if it's ugly. It doesn't have to be pretty. You love Ru, right?" He nodded. "Then it's good. Keep practicing, and it will be prettier every time."_

_She paused, watching her brothers spirits rise again, and cast yet another glance towards the open door of the playroom. He began to gently untangle his braid to try again._

_"Hey, Kazu?" He looked up, curious to get her direction. Instead, she looked at him with a weird not-smile. "It's okay to like stuff girls like, even if you're a boy. You can do whatever you want to do, even if people say it's girly. Real men don't care. Okay?"_

_"Okay," he chirped. She smiled sadly._

_The lesson didn't sink in quite then, but it was stuck in his memory forever. That day was one of the thousands he could never forget. It was one of his favorite days, even if he never did get around to playing Power Rangers._

**_… … …_**

_Shizuru held a pair of scissors in one hand and a comb in the other. Hotaru sat comfortably on the pantry stool, this time holding the Pink Ranger. She didn't bother paying much attention to her siblings, who stood behind her with very serious expressions._

_"Hold the mirror here," the eldest directed, and the boy stood on his toes, reaching up as high as he could to get the hand-held mirror to an acceptable height. Why there was a mirror involved at all, no one could say._

_"Okay, so it goes like this."_

**_Snip!_**

_…_

_…_

_"Uh-oh."_

**_… ... …_**

_The dojo was big, and unfamiliar. There were things everywhere, weapons and trophies, all a scary metallic shade. The mats were grey, and the walls were wood. There were other people there, grown-ups and kids, none of them were people he knew. It was weird. But he held tight to Ru-Ru's hand, because that always made him feel better._

_It was less scary when Koori-Sensei (they had to call him Sensei, like their teachers at school) started telling them about why people fight._

_"It is our duty as capable people to protect those who aren't capable," Sensei told them. "We have that power, and that strength, so we must use it for good."_

_Like Power Rangers, or Superman! That was an exciting thought. Even if the first day there was boring, he was very excited to go back. Ru-Ru wanted to go because he wanted to go, and Shizuru just rolled her eyes. Mother always frowned when Sis did that._

_Kazuma turned his little sisters hair into one long rope every day before their class. Mother always told Shizuru that it looked good, and Shizuru told him to be quiet with her fingers. That was fine, secrets were fun!_

_Every class got better and better. They practiced katas like dances, but really slow, and sometimes he threw them around to "teach them how to fall down." That was dumb, but it was also fun. Soon enough, they were there for a year already! He waited on Ru-Ru to come out of the girls bathroom, sitting against the wall. He waved to his three friends as they left. They said they wanted to quit, but he didn't want to. He hoped they could still be friends if he didn't quit too._

_He looked up when he saw his parents come in, and was about to wave when Koori-Sensei walked over to them. Curiously, Kazuma listened. They greeted politely in that weird adult way, then they stood kinda close and talked a little more quietly._

_"I wanted to tell you, I've been considerin' movin' yer daughter up a belt early, before the others in her group." Oh? Cool!_

_"Is she doing that well?" Father asked, surprised. Mother frowned._

_"Isn't she a bit young to be moving onto more advanced things?"_

_Koori-Sensei shook his head._

_"It isn't so much about age as proficiency. She takes to this like a fish to water. To be perfectly honest, I've never seen a child advance this quickly before. She's copyin' the older classes moves almost perfectly just by watchin' them." Mother frowned more. Father nodded with a proud look._

_"She only needs the basics. Any more than that isn't proper for a young lady," Mother argued. "What about moving Kazuma up instead?"_

_Koori-Sensei sighed, and Kazuma's ears perked._

_"Yer son is very determined, and he is a good student, but he is nowhere near her level. I really think ye have a hidden gemstone in your family, and it isn't yer boy, Kuwabara-San. Lettin' Hotaru's talents go to waste would be a terrible shame."_

_Mothers eyes narrowed, and Father stepped in front of her._

_"Why don't we see what Hotaru thinks, dear?" he said._

_They left shortly after, Kazuma holding his sisters hand with a sad sort of look. She was better than him, and that was okay, right? Mother said fighting was for boys, but Shizuru said girls and boys can like whatever they want. Mother said braiding hair was for girls, but Shizuru said that boys and girls can do anything the other can do. Which was it?_

_They asked Ru-Ru when they arrived home._

_She said yes. Kazuma smiled, and he was happy for her. Sad for himself a little, but happy was better than sad, so he wanted to be happy for his sister. Shizuru told him so._

_Koori-Sensei took him aside with his parents a few weeks later to tell him why Ru-Ru got moved up in the class and he didn't._

_"Because she's better than me," he told them with a smile. They looked surprised, and Koori-Sensei stopped frowning. His eyes twinkled._

_"Well, she's a girl. Girls are better anyways." He winked. "You just need to keep practicing so you can be there with her, okay?" He glanced at the children's mother, who had a stern look on her face. "And you'll have to get better and stronger so that she doesn't have to fight," he added, looking annoyed. Mother smiled, turning to her son._

_"You're a good brother, Kazuma-Kun. It's your job to be there when your sisters need you."_

_Kazuma's eyes widened. Of course! Big Sis was better at hair stuff, and Ru-Ru was better at fighting stuff! Girls were just better, so boys needed to help them and keep them safe. He understood now, boys were for girls to be the boss of._

_"I will be!"_

**_… … …_**

_"Ru-Ru!"_

_He ran around the parked cars in the back parking lot. They weren't supposed to be here, but he saw red hair disappear this way. They were supposed to stay inside. Hotaru never listened. Usually it was fine, and she was just curious. Sometimes she was with animals like dogs and kitties._

_This time, he had a bad feeling._

_"Ru-Ru! Come back, we can hide somewhere else," he shouted at the top of his lungs. But it didn't matter how loud he was, because the gunshot was louder._

_He froze, torn between running towards the danger (Ru-Ru's there!) or back inside to the rest of his family. His deliberation didn't last long as the second shot rang out in the evening, and his legs were moving on instinct. He ducked and weaved between cars, heart pounding in his ears, feet hurting from the force of his stomping. The shot sounded close, but not close enough to hurt his ears._

_Where was she?_

_There weren't any screams. There was no sound, just his running and panting like a dog on the hunt. His lungs screamed in pain, heaving gasping breath after breath._

**_"RU-RU!"_**

_He rounded a corner, running full-on into a car as he did, but shaking off the momentary pain. Hard heads were lucky. He shook his head, making to start running again, but then came to a halt._

_"Ru-Ru!" There she was, kneeling on the ground next to a woman. They were both covered in Hotaru's hair, only it looked wet and weird, and… and her hair isn't that dark red. She looked up at him from a distance._

_Big blue eyes were so scary now. But he was a man (eight year old man) and men didn't run away when they were scared._

_He darted to her side, falling to his knees beside her and catching her in a strong embrace. The blood on her hands was still very wet, but the woman who stared up at the sky wasn't moving. She was a pretty woman._

_Kazuma's arms closed tighter, hugging his little sister closer while they both stared at the lady._

**_… … …_**

_Kazuma cried out, waking from the nightmare with a sick stomach and a sweaty brow. The blood was everywhere. He choked on it this time._

_He trembled as he slipped back the covers, the routine so normal by now that he hardly registered that he was crossing the room. The other bed roll in the small room was his destination. The one with pink flowery sheets and a fluffy pillow, the one currently housing the object of his most recent dream._

_"Ru-Ru?" he whispered quietly, his voice bleary from sleep, yet shaky from fear. She didn't react for a moment, and he put a hand on her. She was warm. He feared maybe if he took his hand away, it would come back bloody. Maybe she still had blood somewhere on her. Or maybe she was-_

_"Get in," came her low voice, and she lifted the corner of her pink blanket. He wasted no time crawling under and huddling as close to her as he could. She was dry. No blood, and her eyes were wide and stare-ey, but they looked back at him blinking. She was alive._

_"I had a bad dream," he told her, the next line in his almost nightly script._

_"I know," she replied, same as always._

_"Goodnight," he mumbled, and she opened her arms as she usually did, and he curled up and snuggled deep into her embrace. Then he closed his eyes, smelling the strawberry shampoo of her hair and the detergent their mother used on the laundry, listening to her even breathing and feeling her lungs expand-_

_"Are you afraid of blood?"_

_His eyes popped open wide. She never spoke after he said goodnight. They always fell asleep. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Tentatively, he looked up. She was still staring straight, over his head._

_"Are you?" she prompted. He nodded._

_"Yeah. It's dark, and smells bad, and it only shows when someone's hurt," he explained, feeling a bit more awake. She blinked, then finally looked down._

_"You shouldn't be afraid of it. We all have it. It keeps us alive, remember?" His chest hurt. Why did his chest hurt? And his stomach started turning again like there was a hamster rolling around in there._

_"I can show you," she continued quietly. "I'll show you, then you won't be scared."_

_Shaking, sweating, sick and hurting, he couldn't even freeze from the fear. He shook his head violently._

_"Nuh-uh! I don't wanna see any blood ever again!"_

_She paused, tilting her head to look at him. She looked… weird. He didn't know that face. Then she smiled._

_"Okay, that's alright. You don't have to see it."_

_He gulped, shutting his eyes tight and burying his head into her chest. Her body was warm. And her smile…_

_Her smile made him feel frozen._

**_… … …_**

_She read from a book, some book Shizuru got them. He didn't care for the books, but he liked hearing Ru-Ru talk. She read books really well, way better than he did, and her voice was nice when she read out loud._

_She didn't get the weird face again, and the day with all the blood was a year ago. The dreams weren't so bad now, and her eyes were happier. They were really happy sometimes. Right now, she sounded happy, even though the book was about something sad. He knew he was doing a good job then, if she was happy._

_His fingers, thick and blunt, moved more nimbly now than they did when he first started learning. It was like Shizuru said, all muscle memory. It was more than just a normal braid this time though. It was called Dutch style. His mother had been really happy to teach him. He didn't know Later meant five years, but it did eventually happen. Later always happened._

_Their mother wanted him to play with girl stuff now, since it made Ru-Ru so happy. She even gave him magazines about braiding hair. They were pretty, and they looked prettier when they were red-orange._

_He asked Granny Mieko what style he should try, and she picked Dutch. Nobody else knew Granny Mieko, but Ru-Ru saw her once. Granny was a really nice old woman who had a habit of disappearing very quickly when they were done talking. He wanted to show her the braid when it was finished._

_Ru-Ru's hair was long now, almost as long as their older sisters. It made braiding easier, but short hair braids were still pretty. She always looked pretty with braids._

_He blinked, his hands going still as he realized she had stopped reading. The book lay open in her lap and she was looking at it, but her voice had stopped a while ago. He peered around her shoulder, leaning down (she was still so little!) to catch her gaze._

_"Ru-Ru? What's wrong?"_

_She didn't respond, just waiting a moment before she looked back up at him. Her big blue eyes were smiling, and this time it didn't make him cold._

_"Nothing, just keep doing what you're doing." He grinned._

_He finished the braid. She told him it was beautiful. She always said that. It made him happy. They went to search for Granny Mieko together._

**_… … …_**

_She was three levels above him now. His belt was red, and hers was purple. Purple was okay, but blue was better._

_Not a better belt color, just a better **color** color._

_She was so fast! She was the best of everyone, not that there were many people left. Most of the kids quit, including his friends. But it was okay, because they saw each other at school and they still hung out sometimes. There were still three other boys and Kazuma, but Ru-Ru could beat them all. She was just too fast, and she was stronger than she looked. Koori-Sensei was always giving her praise._

_Except once. Once, she hit a boy very hard and broke his nose._

_There was blood…_

_He quit after that, and Koori-Sensei yelled at her for it. You're not supposed to hurt people, he said. She stared at her hand, and at the floor, and at the boys face. She couldn't look away, even when Koori-Sensei grabbed her arm._

_Kazuma pushed him. That was the first time ever that both children were punished in the dojo._

**_… … …_**

_It was a simple braid this time. It was the first one he was ever taught, and the motion and pattern was soothing, something to focus on to distract himself._

_The living room was nearly silent. Their father stared blankly at the television, some news program playing softly with sports recaps and lottery numbers. Kazuma sat on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the long red hair clutched in his fingers. He twisted and tucked deftly, slowing down his movements to prolong the experience. If he could hold out a little longer, maybe he could think of something different to do than the simple three-strand braid._

_Her hair was longer than anyone else's. She never wanted it cut, so it never was. He was happy with that. He never wanted it cut either._

_Hotaru sat on the floor, her back straight as she stared ahead, through the TV, through the wall, probably through the whole world. She stared at something no one else could see, and they could all see many things. Kazuma thought she was staring at the gods and wishing them dead. Her big blue eyes were so… black._

_The braid was finished._

_He stared at his large hands, willing them to move and do something, maybe unwind the braid and do it over again. But moving was too much effort. Just curling his fingers into a fist felt like it would take up all the energy in the world. He didn't lift his head, even when Shizuru came back inside. The young woman stopped in the doorway, silent as death._

_Speaking was so hard right now…_

_"You smell like cigarettes." Kazuma's eyes widened and he looked down at the soft voice. Only, it wasn't really soft. It was like a butterfly knife, slim and small and harmless looking. But it's also a knife._

_He couldn't see those big blue eyes, but the face slowly turned up, and Shizuru regarded it with a cool nonchalance._

_"Yeah, try and figure that one out," the eldest child responded. Hotaru took a breath, her shoulders shaking like a dormant volcano that just decided to disturb the quiet, peaceful village living at its base._

_"How can you be so dismissive? Smoking!? Now, of all times!?"_

_Shizuru blinked, looking surprised. She shouldn't have been._

_"It takes the edge off," she explained. Hotaru's spine straightened dangerously, and if she did that any more it would break backwards._

_"What, takes the edge off life?"_

_Shizuru shrugged._

_"Hey, whatever works."_

_Hotaru jumped to her feet. Kazuma watched with his mouth agape. Their father shut his eyes, refusing to watch TV anymore._

_"**You moron.** Why would you do that!? What is wrong with you, you **stupid bitch?** That's the same **disgusting** habit that killed Mama! You know that!" Shizuru's eyes widened, her brow furrowing at the same time. She looked like a lion._

_"Don't tell me what I know," the woman snapped harshly, her voice terribly soft. Yelling would have been better. This quiet anger was so awful. It hurt to hear._

_"You have one life!" Hotaru wasn't giving up yet. "You're going to waste it on this? Why? What makes you think this is a good thing?"_

_Shizuru shook her head, gritted her teeth, and turned away._

_"You want to die, just like her! You want to leave us!"_

_All movement stopped. The only noise was the chattering of a car commercial, and even over that, you could hear a pin drop on the carpeted floor. Hotaru stared at everyone. Everyone stared back. Big blue eyes were rimmed red and shining. Kazuma felt helpless. A real man was supposed to help. He was supposed to fix things._

_How do you fix something when there are pieces missing?_

_He looked at Shizuru. Miserable. He looked at Father. Apathetic. He looked at Hotaru. Angry. He looked at himself, at his big clumsy hands. Helpless._

_Hotaru was gone before he even had a chance to look back up_

**_… … …_**

_She wasn't there when she returned. Hotaru was there, sure. Ru-Ru wasn't._

_But she brought home a cat, so he pretended he didn't see it. The cat was okay, a little boring, but still, it was his first pet. Even if it liked Hotaru best, he still tried to love it. Even if Hotaru liked the cat best out of all of them, he still tried to love her._

_He gave her presents. Kitties and things, cute and soft, pretty figurines and toys, lots of pink things even though she looked so good in blue._

_The big blue eyes made him feel like he was living in the arctic when they looked at him. Empty and cold, ice blue. He matched it with a crayon and a colored pencil. Her eyes were ice blue now. He could hardly call her Ru-Ru without choking. She wasn't Ru-Ru._

_She was scary._

_The nightmares came back, but he didn't go to her room. They got worse, and he still didn't go. She frightened him more than the blood. He gave her more cute presents. She loved them all, and the demon that replaced his sister was placated._

**_… … …_**

_Koori-Sensei stared him down._

_"Fight yer sister."_

_"I won't!"_

_The man growled, taking a step closer with his cane. Kazuma didn't back away. He glared right back, because he wasn't weak, and he wasn't a bully. He was a man. A twelve-year-old man._

_"Why? Ya think just because she's a girl, she don't deserve to fight?"_

_Kazuma shook his head vehemently._

_"I won't fight girls." Girls were better. Girls need to be respected, and fighting them wasn't respectful. If he wasn't respectful, then a mulberry wasn't a mulberry._

_Koori shook his head and scoffed._

_"Get out of here. Out! I don't want to see yer pathetic face in my dojo again. Ye are a weak-willed man, Kuwabara Kazuma. Ye will never have what it takes to be a real warrior if ye can't swallow yer pride and quit acting like yer better than everyone else."_

_Kazuma never went back._

**_… … …_**

_Urameshi died._

_Hotaru had that weird look again._

**_… … …_**

_Urameshi's been back for a while._

_Hotaru's been avoiding Kazuma. Wasn't she happy with him anymore? Was he not being a good enough brother? Why, why did she want Urameshi? Why did Urameshi want her? Why did the two people who gave his life meaning want nothing to do with him anymore?_

**_… … …_**

_He gave her the kitty necklace. Maybe that was it, she was too old for toys. Jewelry had to work!_

_She had a look… her eyes weren't as cold. They haven't been so scary lately. She smiled at him more. He missed her smile so much. Her big blue eyes were so much less icy. Like warm, baby blue. Maybe next time, something more mature, like sapphires, or aquamarine._

**_… … …_**

_He saw her._

_She was there._

_At the tournament, with wide eyes and a look of concern._

_Wearing a cute sweater and the kitty necklace tucked under the collar._

_She had a bag, with snacks and clothes._

_She lied, but it didn't matter._

_She was there._

_He saw her._

_Ru-Ru._

* * *

Kazuma looked up to meet my eyes. Shoulders thrown back, head held high, chest thrust out, and hands balled to frustrated fists at his sides.

He crossed the field towards me.

* * *

**And we are at the end. This wasn't as long as I thought it was. Thank God, because I was afraid it would be way too dragged out. I am extremely happy with this chapter. Like some others, it wrote itself. I find it interesting that Kazuma actually did notice the difference. Please review, give me criticisms, berate me for being late. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now. Stay safe guys, be careful out there, wash your hands, drink lots of water, just don't get sick. PSA because we just had a confirmed case of Coronavirus in my immediate area. **

**Meow for now!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Happy Wednesday! Boy howdy, this one caused me a bit of trouble. I kept running into walls. That's what happens when I try to walk blindfolded through a maze, go figure. But seriously, this was a little harder. I kept getting distracted too, kinda a theme for me. First youtube, then other fanfics, then another one I'm thinking about writing for another anime, and finally a religious debate with my roommate while watching some Subnautica playthrough. Either way, it's here, it's queer, enjoy the "sho."**

* * *

_Beware, beware, be skeptical_  
_Of their smiles, their smiles of plated gold._  
_Deceit so natural._  
_But a wolf in sheep's clothing is more than a warning._  
_Bah-bah-black sheep, have you any soul?_  
_No sir. By the way, what the hell are morals?_

_So could you_  
_Tell me how you're sleeping easy_  
_How you're only thinking of yourself?_  
_Show me how you justify_  
_Telling all your lies like second nature._  
_Listen, mark my words: One day,_  
_You will pay, you will pay._  
_Karma's gonna come collect your debt._

_\- Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Set it Off_

**Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick**

My opponent faced me, our gazes meeting through the slowly dissipating mist that hung over the rotting land. The ground was soft and springy, not ideal for maintaining balance, and a sensory sweep with my energy showed several hidden sinkholes, portals to the putrid water that lay still and stagnant beneath our feet.

Like any other battle I had fought, I began by assessing the one opposite me. Strengths and weaknesses came to mind immediately, stacking atop one another in a mesh of attack plans. The smallest of twitches was telling, where the eyes would flicker to and express interest gave away his intentions. Several meters between us would give either one of us plenty of time to react to the others opening move. I was fast, but he was sturdy. Even if I hadn't spent my entire life around him, I would see that much.

And that was the crux of it, wasn't it? This wasn't a normal battle, or a normal opponent I could pick apart with all the precision of a razor blade. There would be no internal conflict over mercy to stay my hand, nor would there be the unquestioning desire to destroy what was before me.

This was Kazuma. This was my brother. This was my world.

This could be the easiest fight of my entire life, or the moment that ruined us forever.

"You may begin."

The words left the old woman, but neither of us made a move. He was wracked with nerves, I could feel it from here. I was still calculating, wondering how exactly to proceed without being terribly obvious. I could always get close enough to whisper it to him, but there was little chance of him keeping the secret. Somehow, I wasn't sure how, he would find a way to mess it up. Secrecy it was, then, as per usual.

… Well, then. Let's begin.

"Kazuma," I called, and he flinched slightly. I fought a grimace at his reaction. "You will fight me with your new weapon."

He blanched.

"W-what? Are you kidding, I don't know how to use that thing!" I gave him a very unimpressed look, holding out my right hand and focusing a small fraction of energy in the palm.

"Instinct is harnessed into second nature. Your power awoke to protect you before, and is now available for you to access." He stared down at his hands, the look of concentration somewhat comical. I debated letting him figure this out on his own, or providing that helpful hint. Looking at his energy now, it was unclear how exactly he had been able to shine so brightly before.

The veins of energy running through him were weak, despite the core in his chest being considerably luminous. I blinked rapidly, pulling the energy from my eyes and returning my sight to normal. He would need help.

"That piece of the sword seemed to focus your energy well enough," I offered, and his eyes lit up in realization.

"Oh yeah!" He shoved a fist into the pocket of his jumpsuit, producing the scrap of wood that had broken from his sheer durability. If there was one thing I could choose to list as his greatest attribute, in regards to a fight, it would be that he can withstand a great deal more physical strain than anyone I know. Even if his attacks were somewhat lacking in skill and precision, his body persisted with great tenacity.

I watched his energy once again, cataloguing the expansion of the veins as they allowed a greater flow of energy simply by being in contact with the shard of the sword. From that repurposed hilt sprung the shapeless shaft of molten plasma, sunlight in the palm of his hand that cast the sharp angles of his face into an even greater contrast. I nodded, that warmth of pride swelling in my chest again.

Then I attacked.

I ran at him as he admired his weapon, swinging my arm at his head. The violet blade was dull and wouldn't be particularly effective, but it would definitely hurt more than a simple punch.

He raised his sword just in time, a look of panic making his eyes bright. He didn't react for a moment, and I pressed harder, bringing our crossed blades closer to his face. The sweat of his brow glinted, and the proximity to danger snapped him out of whatever he was thinking. He pushed back with a strength surprising even me, shoving my blade away and taking a large step back. He raised the sword above his head.

Then he stopped. Conflict flashed in his emotional eyes, but I knew I had little choice. With my mouth set in a hard line, I spun in place, the momentum granting my kick to his stomach enough force to lift him off his feet. He landed on the grass, looking as though he might retch.

"Do _not_ hesitate again," I warned him. He stood back up, holding his stomach for a moment and shooting me a half-hearted glare.

"Alright, I got it. I won't hold-"

He raised his sword once more with a yelp as I lunged forward, forcing him to block yet another strike to his middle. I did not relent, pulling back only enough to attack from a different angle, giving him time to adjust before launching my assault.

He blocked furiously, his footwork sloppy but effective as he evaded the dull blade. Our difference in height was something of a challenge, in that I was not attempting to kill him and so was limiting my own range of motion. However, I altered the size of the energy blade to nearly two-thirds of my height, giving me reach enough to avoid such close quarters. Not that it was necessary, as he did nothing but defend. While it was enough for me not to hit him at my current speed, it wasn't what I was looking for. He backed away, ducking and weaving around the huge sickle.

Something prodded at me from inside the confines of my skull, a pressure that was neither intrusive nor painful. I felt the familiarity of coldness returning to me, and latched onto that piece of myself. I frowned, sharpening the blade just at the tip.

I darted forward, pushing energy into my legs to achieve speed too great for his eyes to follow. Flitting between his legs, I dragged the point across his left calf, somersaulting away before he could turn. He let out a sharp cry of pain, one knee buckling just slightly before he whipped around, facing me with a look of hurt. I pushed down the guilt. I didn't have time for it.

"I am not your sister," I told him, and the momentary dismay in his gaze annoyed me. "In this moment I am not family, I am not your better, and I am not a girl. I am your opponent. I am your equal. I am your _enemy_."

With that point made, I lifted my right hand, spirit energy focusing in the palm. The sword came as instinct, the simple, elegant design both foreign and familiar at once. It was something like a broad sword, and I shifted my stance to hold it up with both hands, though there was no weight. The rudimentary weapon ran parallel to the ground, pointing straight at his heart. I could see it, beating frantically like a bird in a too-small cage.

"No you're not," he shouted back, and I frowned. "Dammit, you're my baby sister! I'm not supposed to fight you, I'm supposed to protect you."

I scoffed.

"You cannot protect someone stronger than yourself. If you were ever to try, you would only get in the way."

Inciting him to rage wouldn't be effective, at least not in my case. He would never attack me out of anger. But out of pride? Perhaps there was a chance. My threat of disowning him seemed to work well enough to convince him to enter into this farce. Wearing down on that point could easily backfire is I wasn't careful.

I cast a glance towards Yusuke, blinking energy into my vision to observe his core for a split second. At the rate of his auras growth, he would be back to full power in approximately fifteen minutes. I wasn't sure if I could drag this out long enough, but I could at least buy him a few minutes rest.

I returned my attention to the fight, disappointment weighing coldly and heavily on my chest. Kazuma had neglected to take advantage of my distraction. He kept his distance, his eyes downcast. Giant arms trembled, though it was not the weightless sword that made him so weak. If this was to continue, I would have to break down his resolve. Not that my own, more selfish motivations didn't have impact on my decisions here, but it would have to happen sooner or later. Now was simply convenient. Two birds, one stone, potential for accidental suicide.

The pressure in my mind, soft and tentative, became a pounding, drums so close and so loud they shook my entire body. Each nerve ending dulled and disconnected, my body feeling lighter than it ever had before.

I charged him again. And again. And again. Each pass of my blade left another scar, another line of red along the blue of his uniform that he had no hope of deflecting. I blocked out his cries of pain. Nothing was fatal, I reminded myself. Just flesh wounds, painful but otherwise unremarkable.

One slice after another, one or two a bit deeper than I intended. My hands were hot, from the energy or from blood? My heart was loud, far too loud. My stomach churned. My face felt contorted and tight, but fell lax again as the drum beat became concussive explosions of cold calm.

He moved, taking a step towards me. It was exactly what I wanted, but I still rammed my elbow into his ribs, knocking him back and delivering another slice to that same area. Warmth splattered onto my face.

"_Ru-Ru!_"  
"Taru, stop!"

I tripped.

Stumbling to a halt, I caught myself before I could become one with the ground. My chest was heaving, my eyes blown wide. The ice that numbed my limbs struggled to hold on as the fiery heat of blood scorched my cheek. I wiped my face with my good sleeve, glancing down at the smear of red.

_Calm. Down. Now._

Slowly, I got my breathing and heart rate under control, turning to face my brother. I anticipated a bloodbath, but it seems I was able to hold back enough.

The red was plentiful, but nothing was in an area that would cause excessive blood loss. He was standing easily enough, only his hands clutching the sword shaking from whatever emotion he was currently struggling with. We were almost there, but was it even worth it?

"Fight back."

He raised his sword, eyes shining.

"Why!? Why do you want me to fight you? This isn't right and you know it!"

… Right? Who was he to talk to me about what was right? Who did he think he was talking to? I ignored him, stalking forward. There was no need for sudden attacks when he wouldn't stop me anyways. I repeated my command.

"Fight back.

I swung the simple blade and he blocked, admittedly doing well to hold off the force of my arms pressing down on him. He held my gaze with mixed fear and trepidation. The fear disgusted me. The hopelessness would give me no pleasure. His defeat would be inconsequential.

My brother? No, he couldn't be. The person I bound myself to was stronger than this. Or perhaps I had been deluding myself, and the one I had chosen was just as pathetic as the rest. And with that realization, the cold became a frost that I could feel behind my eyes. The ground below me could have frozen over as even my blood seemed to chill. My heart thumped steadily as calm washed over me in icy waves. The imprints of mercy were washed from the sands of the arctic shore, leaving a smooth surface behind for hard shells of dead creatures to take root. Warmth was crushed under the black ocean, pressure and cold reducing all living things caught in its embrace to shards of stones, rolled and smoothed down to nothing.

_She_ narrowed my eyes and pushed back, throwing the young boy several feet away. The piece of the sword fell from his grip and the disgusting excuse for a weapon dissolved into the air.

_She smirked._

_"Hey! What the hell are you doing, Crazy!?" She ignored the imbecilic boy._

_This dead land was free of those pesky wards, the energy of the spirits long since erasing whatever purifications the old human hag had inflicted upon us. It wouldn't be enough just yet, and the moment we left, those torii would do their job once more. She should choose a new focus, as clearly this brother was a poor decision on my part._

The world existed as though through a filter. Her thoughts and sensory information bombarded my own along with what I could see. Words were muffled, and my vision was unreliable. An overlayment turned the scene to a rosy hue.

_The demon trash Kurama would suffice. We could exist for him for a time. It was a better alternative than the idiot child Urameshi, who still found it suitable to shout profanity at her despite her clearly advantageous position. Then again, anything was better than this mewling little **caillteachán**._

I couldn't move, but by her command. I couldn't speak, except for her words.

_She looked at the imitation of a sword she had been using, reshaping it to a dignified short-sword with prongs on either end of the braided hilt. At the pommel there was a knob in the shape of a head and face. Nostalgia blossomed, memories flitting invisibly and inaudibly across our mind; flashes of images of such a blade, silver glinting when running red in the midst of a smoking battlefield. Not one unlike these grounds, in fact. Her eyes flickered back down._

_"You aren't worth my time," She told my brother with a frown. She brought my blade down to sever his head from his neck, the color somewhat bleached._

_A bright shaft of yellow-orange met the pale mauve halfway there. Her expression morphed into one of shock, looking back into blazing, nearly black orbs._

She was wrong.

_"No," Kazuma snarled, his energy pulsing brighter as he stood, straining to push her back. "I just got you back. You're not leaving again!"_

_He forced her back, the bright citrine shade of his sword intensifying briefly. She looked down to see the shard of wood still on the ground. How did he-_

_With a scream, he brought the blunt weapon down for the first time, swinging with all the grace of a flyswatter. She was still in shock, and raised her defenses too late. The two weapons collided, sending her flying off to the side. The contact was a blast of warmth, a concrete wall of heat that sunk deep into the cold of our body, touching the frozen heart._

_We sailed through the air, blood raging to life again, fire circulating through our veins as we hit the ground and tumbled-_

"Taru!"

Wind rushing by my face, loud in my ears, carried Yusuke's voice across the marsh.

My body felt overheated, sensory data overwhelming me as I rolled to a stop over the rotted grass. Smells and colors were too potent and bright, and I flinched away from it all with hands indecisively flitting between my face and the throbbing on my arm. I took a gasping breath, my lungs expanding gratefully as though they had been deprived of oxygen for too long. Confusion wracked my brain and I blinked my eyes back open to take stock of my situation.

I was on the ground, no serious injuries aside from minor pain. It would bruise, but otherwise wouldn't be an inconvenience. My limbs were heavy as though weighed down by shackles, yet I remained unencumbered. What happened before this? I attacked my brother, told him not to hesitate, we were locked in combat where he primarily blocked, then…

I could hear heavy breathing, looking up to find my brother standing just a few meters away, holding aloft the bright swath of sunlight that was his manifested energy. The piece of wood was gone, energy vessels opening on their own to allow this feat. But it was not the sword, nor was it the blooming pride I felt, which grabbed my attention.

Pure molten rage boiled over in his eyes. I couldn't be sure if he was looking at me or through me, though his blind fury seemed oddly focused. He lifted his arms once more, and I barely had time to raise my defenses, power shooting hotly through my arm. The force of his blow was jarring, both to my weakened body and my sensibilities.

_What!?_

"If this is the only way I get to keep you, then I'll do it! Just don't leave again, okay?" His growled out request for assurance touched upon something in the back of my mind, the smallest twitch telling me something wasn't quite right.

Then, that something came back to me.

My vision blurred and my head spun, words and actions returning to me in a vast compilation of sounds and colors- colors tainted by an overlayment of Rose Light. Words and actions that, upon further reflection, sent a sickening guilt surging through my system. Words and actions that were not my own… And my rage matched his, if only for a moment.

There was no time for that now. I blinked rapidly to clear my eyes and threw off his attack, rolling to the side and switching the focus of my energy. The power now ran through my legs, muscles searing as I vaulted backwards out of his reach. He turned to give chase, but he was still relatively slow. I charged a blade over my arm, noting it was significantly smaller than my initial weapon. It would have to suffice.

"I'm not going anywhere," I assured my brother. He blinked in surprise, the darkness beginning to leave his gaze, and I was unsure if that was preferable at the moment.

I darted forward before he could get a word out, striking at his chest in a manner that was easily blocked. He took a step back after deflecting, but rather than retreating as he had done before, he was only shifting to deal a blow of his own. He swung his blade of sunlight, which I batted way with ease. He was hesitating, but at the very least he was fighting back.

He gained more confidence every second, each exchange of blows a little more serious than the last. His eyes were alight with focus that I hadn't seen in years, his body falling back into form that he had long since abandoned. Instinct morphed into recognizable technique, though I did not take advantage of his predictability.

I rolled to the side, springing up from the ground and stabbing out at his throat. His eyes grew wide in momentary panic before his arm rose impulsively to elbow me in the ribs. I grunted from the impact, the pain somewhat surprising, but allowed the momentum to carry me back rather than fight it. I landed on my hands, flipping back to my feet and igniting my arm once more in a single motion.

"Gah! Ru-Ru!" His guard was lowered, looking me over with a concerned eye. I smiled at him, almost a grin, and it was real.

"Stay focused, you're doing so well." The praise seemed to go ignored, but that was perfectly acceptable. He couldn't understand it yet, the poor idiot. He grimaced when our weapons collided again, but did not falter. Instead, he pushed my assault away and took his first step forward.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he made a swipe at my left flank. It was easy enough to deflect, allowing me to turn into the movement and plant my own elbow squarely in the center of his torso.

"I am myself."

He groaned in pain and I slipped away between his open arms, taking a moment to assess Yusuke's spirit energy. Shock caused me to waver for a moment. The aquamarine burned brightly through his entire body, and appeared for all intents and purposes to be completely recovered. With how slowly the spirits were replenishing our energy, he should only be approximately halfway there. I pulled the energy back from my eyes to meet his gaze.

His glare was _volcanic_.

I was distracted, and it seemed Kazuma learned from his mistakes. I had barely enough time to shield myself from his sudden attack. The moment seemed to freeze, Kazuma pushing down on me like the sun beating down on a blazing jungle. I looked back up at him, my mind racing.

"Kazuma, you need to forfeit now."

His eyes grew wide and he recoiled as though slapped, jaw dropping open in outrage.

"Say_ what!?_" I winced, bracing myself against the ground as he unconsciously pressed harder.

"I only needed you to fight me long enough-" I never got to finish.

"I _tried_ to give up! I wasn't gonna fight you but you _made_ _me_," he seethed, gritting his teeth and leaning closer. Two shades of energy reflected in the whites of his eyes. "I'm not just gonna stop now, not after what just happened! If I have to beat you to make you stay then… then-!" His anger faltered for a moment, and that was enough relief of pressure for me to slip out from under him, elbowing the back of his knee as I went and sending him crashing face-first to the ground.

He landed with a yelp that was cut off when he ate the decaying grass, and I took a few steps back. My arms remained bare of energy.

"I don't need to fight you anymore, and I don't plan on losing," I informed him as he pushed himself up with a furious scowl, face twisted and contorted. He was in no mood to listen, but I pressed on, hoping my sincerity might make it through that thick skull of his. "You have no chance of victory here. You'll only embarrass yourself."

I could feel the sting as that comment struck his pride, and I would have slapped myself for that moment of idiocy if it was not such a serious situation. He was on his feet in an instant, lips drawn back in a snarl. I sighed internally.

"No way! You don't get to go do all that and just call it off when you feel like it! You're not the only person that matters here. You can't expect me to just do whatever you want _just because you want it_, that's not how it works!" I clenched my jaw.

It took only a pulse of energy running through my body and stopping at my feet. I moved with speed too great for his eyes and stopped just behind him. I grabbed the edges of his shirt just as he realized where I was, then with another quick burst, I propelled myself up and over his head, dragging the blue fabric along with me. He let out a startled noise, somewhere between a choke and a yell, as his arms were suddenly forced upward and his vision was obscured.

I landed at his front, forcing him to bend over to follow his shirt. I twisted the ends to keep him in the dark, then moved to the side to kick the back of his knee. He dropped with a shout, but it was cut off immediately when I moved just beside him, the tip of a violet blade pressed against the point where his jugular pulsed. He stiffened immediately, his adam's apple bobbing when he gulped reflexively.

"I'm sorry, Brother, but that _is_ how it works," I told him in a casual tone. "I promise you an explanation, but only if you forfeit this match. I mean it when I tell you that you have no chance of winning."

"You won't kill me," he fired back, and though his face was hidden, I could imagine he looked somewhat unsure of that sentiment. "You're Ru-Ru, you're my little sister."

I sighed, pulling my energy back under my skin where it hummed pleasantly.

"You're right, I won't kill you. But I also won't lose to you. I have a job to do, Kazuma. I need you to respect that, and do as I ask. Please."

I waited with words yet withheld in my chest. He remained silent.

"Zu, please."

His body flinched visibly, but then relaxed with shuddering breath. His shoulder slumped forward in defeat.

"Alright, okay, I give up."

I sighed in relief, releasing the ends of his shirt. He struggled to bring the fabric back down where it belonged, but jerked away when I attempted to help. When he was finally situated after several seconds of floundering, he fixed me with a deep scowl. I merely stood, offering him a hand up, which he refused. His silence was frustrating.

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you," I offered, but he only looked away, the anger still present. I frowned, turning to head back to the group. Genkai was waiting rather impatiently, if her face was anything to go by, and Yusuke looked two seconds away from joining us on the field.

"Why did you have to say those things?"

Normally so rough, his softly-spoken question got my attention with alarming ease. I looked back at him over my shoulder to find he hadn't moved an inch. He refused to look at me, avoiding my eyes and focusing on a point somewhere below my head.

"Those things?" I asked, as there had been many things said, and not all of them had been by me.

Another thought for another time.

"That you weren't my sister, you were my enemy and all that stuff," he explained, eyes glistening. "Why'd you say all that? I know it's not what you really think. You were just trying to hurt me. Just… why?" His eyes shut tight and his voice cracked.

"Why did you want me to hurt you?"

I froze, breath catching in my throat. The mists around us shifted as the air turned to ice, a moment of time when my mind ran completely blank. What could I say to something like that? Do I deny this and coddle his sensibilities? Do I disparage his fear? I searched everywhere for an answer, only to find that there was nothing I could tell him that logic and reasoning could concoct. The rational part of me saw no answer to this.

It was instinct that answered him, and my throat grew tight even as I spoke.

"Because if you're strong enough to hurt me, I can't ever hurt you." I blinked, listening to myself as words kept falling, and they were indeed my own words. "If you can disassociate me enough to protect yourself from me, there is no one in this world who can cause you pain. If I die, you can move on. If I… disappoint you, you won't be haunted by lost trust forever. You will be strong, and you will persist, no matter how much someone toys with your feelings."

To say he looked horrified would be an understatement, but it will have to be enough of a descriptor. The dismayed and disheartened expression hurt to look at. My hands flexed uselessly at my sides, tongue turning over in my mouth as I struggled to find words, any words, that would erase that terrible face.

"I should not have done this here. This was not the time or place, but it was convenient. You wouldn't have fought me under any other circumstances. Regardless, this was inevitable." My teeth clicked as my jaw snapped shut, muscles in my cheek twitching. Heat rushed to my face that was not a byproduct of the Rush that I was familiar with. This warmth was irrational and unpleasant, and wholly uncontrollable. It came accompanied by stomach-turning guilt. That feeling, unfortunately, was becoming more and more normal.

"That's dumb!" I looked up at him, vaguely aware I was glaring. "You think tricking me like that is gonna make things better? And lying about it?" My eyes widened, and I could feel my heart beating in fury.

"_I have not lied to you,_" I informed him coldly, and to his credit, he did not back down.

"You said I wasn't worth your time," he combated with a snarl, and I shook my head fervently.

"No, that wasn't me," I denied, only too late realizing what I had done. The admission had come automatically, though whether I had simply wanted to reveal it or been thinking about it enough to slip up could be debated. Either way, he barely seemed to notice the implications.

"Then what was it, huh?" he asked sardonically, and I found I had no answer for him. "Because it sure as hell looked… like you…"

And then there was silence. I could hear his mind processing from here, and I could only stare as he worked his poor brain through whatever realization he had just come to. Seconds ticked by, feeling more like hours. Surely Genkai or Yusuke would interject now, tell us to hurry this along and stop wasting her time. She seemed so fond of doing that until the moment I dearly wished she would.

"It looked like you, but it wasn't," he finally voiced, looking as though he had made a disturbing discovery. "You weren't you for a second there. It was like looking at a completely different person. Like that time, a long time ago…" He trailed off, though I could easily guess what time he was remembering. I elected not to think about that.

"You noticed." An accusation, a question, a sudden understanding, or all of the above?

"Of course I did," his brow furrowed, and I didn't register him coming closer until he was directly in front of me. "You're my baby sister."

His uniform was littered with rips, over half of them a result of my own blade, only distinguishable from those of previous fights by the thick ropes of blood streaking the blue fabric. He stood tall despite his injuries, despite the blood loss, despite the humiliation and degradation. His eyes were soft, so unlike my own that looking at him made me feel unclean.

I blinked, coldness settling in my chest when I realized that even after all that pain I had put both of us through, after unintentionally awakening that part of myself yet again, after manipulating his emotions for the sole purpose of giving him greater resilience… I failed.

I smiled.

"Yes, I am. And you're my big brother." He noticed the contrived nature of my expression, and did not return the look.

"What's wrong with you?" A quiet question, the third one yet that I had no real answer for.

"I don't know," I told him honestly, my synthetic smile fading away. "But I intend to find out."

He nodded resolutely.

"Alright, then I'll help. Well find out together."

I didn't have the heart to tell him no. He had enough disappointment for one day. He could wait for the rest tomorrow, or the next day. Genkai, it seemed, shared my opinion.

"If we're done with the heart-to-heart," she called waspishly. "Have you two idiots decided to stop wasting my time with this pointless match?" Ah, there it was. That was a comfort, at least, that the old woman still believed she had time that was valuable enough it could be wasted.

I gave her a look over my shoulder and a nod.

"We're finished. Kazuma?" I returned my gaze to my brother, who nodded with a smile that was closer to a grimace.

"I give up," he said loudly, looking back at the woman.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind getting out of the way so that the next fight can take place?" she snapped, and Kazuma blanched. Together, we complied with her demands, coming to stand before her side by side.

"Um, it's okay if I stay and watch, right?" Kazuma asked, hands clasped politely in front of him. "I'm not gonna get in the way or nothing, I just- well uh…" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and the old woman rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but if you interfere for either of your friends, they're disqualified." He nodded emphatically, but I had already begun walking away. A different set of glowering brown eyes followed me as I approached, and it was a struggle not to flinch.

"It seems I bought you just enough time. Your energy is completely replenished," I informed Yusuke, whose expression shifted to one of surprise.

"Is that why you fought Kuwabara?" he questioned, then gave me a look that was somewhere between scolding and furious. "Geez, you could have said something! Why'd you have to go all crazy on him like that?"

I shrugged.

"Like I said, it was inevitable. It shouldn't have happened here, but what's done is done." He looked unconvinced, but there was little time to debate this with him.

"Alright then, winner Kuwabara Hotaru. Next fight, Shorin versus Dimwit."

Yusuke gave a bark of laughter, face morphing into an easy smirk.

"Wow, think I might have to change my name after all this, I'm starting to get used to it!"

He moved to enter the battleground. I stepped aside to let him pass, catching his shoulder and leaning in so that only he would hear me.

"You'll remember, this is the demon. Even Kurama couldn't tell me what sort of techniques he uses, so be on your guard. Do not let him get the best of you. You cannot play with this one, not when our knowledge is so limited." He gave me a side-eyed glance, doe brown eyes chillingly serious.

Then, that childish gleam returned and he shook me off with a grim smile.

"What are you, my mother? Relax, this'll be a piece of cake. Then after I deal with him, I'm gonna kick your ass six ways from Sunday."

I almost asked him to promise, though I thought better of it.

He strode onto the field with his shoulders back, gait relaxed and easy. The demon lay beyond, a perfectly innocent if not excited expression on his otherwise deceitfully plain face. He looked human enough, and even looking at him now, his energy carried the hints of white that was a signature of humans. His disguise was immaculate. I could not even see the true depth of his power.

I heard movement behind me, the sound of someone stepping on very wet grass, and turned my head to briefly catch a flash of sky-blue. I knew for a fact that the sky was now blanketed grey with clouds, and that lead me to raise a delicate brow.

"Why are you still here?" I asked Botan, who gave me a pouting look.

"I told you, I'm here to support you, and so that I can alert Koenma if you fail." I scoffed, turning back to the opening scene. Yusuke and Shorin, _Rando_, stood across from each other.

"Do you think Koenma isn't watching? He does so enjoy spying on me. You should know." Her frown was audible, but she did not rise to the bait. Nor did she stop talking altogether, though the latter was far too much to hope for. Instead, she rounded on me, her brow furrowed in consternation.

"Oh, nevermind that! Was what you said true? Did you really put your brother through all that just to buy time for Yusuke's energy to come back?" My eyes flashed briefly to locate Kazuma, but he was standing some distance away with Genkai, just far enough away that Botan's grating voice wouldn't reach him. Neither would her muffled scream if I decided to-

"That was one reason, yes," I told her, if only to keep her quiet. "It was a choice between allowing Yusuke to fight his opponent with a fraction of his own power, or giving him time to recover. I think the choice was obvious."

She seemed to disagree.

"Hotaru, that's horrible," she admonished, and I turned to give the _audacious_ Spirit my full attention. "You could have told him at the very least rather than putting him through that torture! You probably didn't even see how much you hurt him!"

How dare. This woman. Be alive.

"I could not have told him initially, or it may have been ruled against. You surely see how much Genkai despises wasting time," I told her without an ounce of inflection. She looked about to interrupt, so I cut her off quickly. "And if I told him as we fought, how suspicious would it look if he were to suddenly appear perfectly fine with the idea of fighting me? Not to mention, do you really think he could have made the fight look normal with the knowledge that he was only buying time for someone else?"

She frowned.

"Still, you didn't have to treat him so poorly! You nearly killed him!"

She retreated a step, eyes widening in panic, and I realized I had taken a step towards her. My arm was warm, and I didn't need to look down to see why.

"No, _She_ nearly killed him," I replied coldly, and the Spirit's lashes fluttered, her breath coming out shaky.

"W-Who?"

I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head just slightly.

"Who indeed. I'm sure Koenma can answer that question for you, and for me. In fact, I'm certain he will." I extinguished the light covering my arm, taking a calming breath. It wouldn't do to lose my cool so soon. I needed to collect myself.

"Do not call into question my devotion to my brother. If I cause him harm, it is for his own good. And before you get it into your silly, empty little head to ask me for my reasons," I added quickly, cutting her questions off once more, "know that it is none of your business and I do not owe you any answers. You know _nothing_. Do not presume you have any authority over me."

I continued to stare her down as though trying to freeze the heat that had now evacuated her eyes. She looked back apprehensively, mouth opening and closing in a passable imitation of a dying goldfish. I broke eye contact with a sniff, deciding she was no longer worth the effort it took to intimidate her.

I looked back to find Yusuke facing two projectile fireballs heading towards him. He stared them down with his signature cocky smirk. His fist wound back, then released, meeting the first fireball with a crash that could have broken the sound barrier. The second received similar treatment, both of them careening straight back to the source. Rando had time to yelp in shock before they both collided with his middle, sending him sailing through the air.

I took a step to join Genkai and my brother, but a hand on my arm stopped me. Of course, I only stopped because I was curious how many more reasons she might give me to end her life.

"Listen, Hotaru, I know you love your brother," she began, and I tilted my head to look at her from my periphery. "And I also know you aren't exactly… sensitive."

"I am quite perceptive, I think," I replied, and she sighed.

"I said sensitive, dear. You see things, but I don't think you understand them."

I blinked.

"Excuse me?"

She gave me… a sympathetic look, removing her hand calmly.

"You seem to think hurting Kuwabara is going to help him somehow, and you're right, you don't need to explain yourself to me. But maybe consider that what he needs isn't what you're trying to give him." She hesitated, then met my eyes once more with a confidence I was certain I had frightened out of her.

"He isn't like you. He needs people to be there for him, to help him, and support him. He's just like any other human. Trying to help him, you might just cause irreparable damage to what you already have with him. He loves you too. I just don't think you should throw that away for the sake of toughening him up."

I opened my mouth to retort.

Then, I promptly closed my mouth.

The young woman seemed to tower over me now, magenta eyes pitying and gentle, and I felt no need to correct that. Her lips were turned down in a sad expression, just a twitch away from an encouraging smile. She stood there, completely defenseless and speaking to me in the way an older sister might. In the way an older sister should. She knew my power. She knew my temper. Yet she still spoke to me as though she could advise me, as though I would listen.

She knew more than she let on. This much I had been aware of for some time, ever since my very first experience with losing myself. She retained that bubbly demeanor, her senseless babbling driving me to the brink of insanity at times, despite understanding my truth. And I found myself wondering for the first time, how could she do that? How was it she treated me so casually, as though we were friends?

Botan was not my friend. She was a means to an end, and an occasionally useful piece of equipment. She was a healer, a portal, a source of information, and access to Koenma. She contributed nothing else to my life, or Yusuke's, with exception to frivolous conversation and constant annoyances, and it was with the greatest contempt that I considered her something close to my property.

She was also one of apparently four people around whom I did not bother with masks. What did that say about her then?

Did she lack the comprehension skills to understand the constant danger she put herself in, or was it something more? She couldn't possibly _like_ me. She could not consider us friends. While I entertained the idea at one point in time, it had become far too tedious a task. She did not appear worth the effort.

Perhaps my initial evaluation was incorrect.

I could find no appropriate response, simply turning away with a frown.

"We should observe the fight. If Yusuke fails, I need to know what to expect."

I began walking, not allowing her to say much else, and I heard her sigh before following. I stopped beside Kazuma, who gave me a critical look before smiling nervously when he noticed me looking back at him.

"Hey, the fight's just getting good," he told me, glancing back behind me. A blush spread over his cheeks, dopey smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Oh, hey Botan! How did you like my fights? I'm pretty great, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, groaning internally. This was exactly what I needed, my brothers flirtations causing even more conflict. If he somehow managed to woo the admittedly not unattractive Spirit… I could very well consider the idea of applying for residence in an asylum.

I returned my attention to the fight.

I growled.

Yusuke, that absolute dolt, was standing there across from his opponent, who had just barely adopted a position resembling meditation. His hands steepled before his face did little to hide his moving lips. The words were not familiar, and I couldn't catch the sound, but the confusion on Yusuke's face was enough to set me on edge.

The malicious glint in Randos eyes was even more foreboding.

* * *

**Went back and forth on the opening song quote. Initially, it was Stevie Nicks _Stop Draggin' My Heart Around_, and that _does_ fit, but I wanted something a little more malicious considering our third player entering the fight. So I asked my roomie just like, five minutes ago, and she reminded me of this lovely song. So there that is. **

**I know we just breezed over the first part of Yusuke's fight. Sorry, but it basically repeated the beats from Kuwabara's fight in canon. Now things are getting interesting, as Rando prepares to use the "Honey I Shrank the Spirit Detective" spell. Yusuke is fully recovered and has his Spirit Gun ready to rock and roll, and if all else fails, we got the stabby stabby action from my main girl. All this and more, next week on Yu Yu Hakusho! **

**Meow for now!**


	22. Chapter 21

**It's Wednesday my dudes.**

**I decided to post on Wednesdays just so I could say that whenever I wanted. Today is also my cake day on Reddit! I made something specifically for my cake day that I'll be posting on r/YuYuHakusho tomorrow, the 13th, because it wasn't finished today. To be fair, I did start it just yesterday, and I haven't picked up my sketch book in over a year, so it isn't my best work. But, you know, when inspiration hits, it really freaking hits. I was just really inspired to draw, and that hasn't happened in a while. So, if you peruse reddit, check it out! I'm an attention whore, but also I really like this one.**

**So now that I'm finished soliciting you all for your attention on one platform, I do it on another. New chapter, yay! I had some fun with this, and I hope you enjoy. On with the "sho."**

* * *

_Yeah, we should have known it would end this way._  
_What did you expect? Pretend it all the way?_  
_And all we've got left is a sorry pile of hearts._  
_I'm getting out- gonna write myself a new start._

_Come on, dry your eyes. Meet me on the other side._  
_Run as fast as you can, and we'll make it out alive._  
_We know better now. We don't have to live like this._  
_Go tell them all: We don't have to live like this._

_\- Get Well - Icon For Hire_

**Dark of the Day**

Evening crept upon us, crawling over the heavens like some fanged creature stalking its prey. The clouds that had covered the sky over the battleground were soaked with the light of the fading red sun, so bloodied by the claws of night that threatened to drag it down under the horizon. It was with great hesitation that the wind even dared cross the grass, tossing hair about as though to distract from the unsettling nature of the air it stirred.

Still the wind was as silent as death, despite the constant motion through hair and over skin, tearing at clothes with a secrecy that would incite jealousy in the encroaching night. The night in itself was far from subtle, clawing mercilessly through the atmosphere, and it was in that same vein that the demonic energy tried in vain to stealthily wash over the rotten earth.

If not the sound of wind, then it was a whispering chant that reached my ears, voiced softly with malice I had yet to hear matched, and simultaneously brimming with underlying anticipation. The voice was wrought with energy, and in the blink of an eye, I could see what was being done.

Though Rando's human disguise was sophisticated enough to transform the appearance of his energy, it was superficial at best, and only worked so long as the energy remained unused. Now that it was being called upon, colors fluctuated. The off-white of the facade faded gradually as splashes of crimson speared their way through the topmost layer. The veins of energy ran red as the blood that flowed just beside them, and even from here, the rusty glint in his eyes was hard to miss. In contrast to the aquamarine beacon that was Yusuke, it was as the burning sand to the tumultuous sea.

Face contorted in a malevolent sneer, Rando chanted under his breath behind the temple created by his hands. I could see the gears turning in Yusuke's head, the inner mechanics of his mind ticking visibly in doe brown eyes. Better yet, I caught the moment when his mental labor bore fruit, lighting his eyes with determination. With a brief spike in oceanic energy, he flashed forward.

Rando could only stare in shock, stuttering to a halt in his spellwork as a fist rocketed towards his face. Skin impacted skin in an audible crunch, and the demon toppled to the ground. Yusuke stood over him with a frown.

"You think I'm just gonna stand here and let you keep doing whatever that is? Come on, even _I'm_ not that dumb." He glared down at his opponent, fists planted on his hips like a mother scolding her young, though without any underlying warmth.

"Now how about you get up and fight like a real man, without any stupid tricks. See, I'd feel pretty bad hitting you while you're glued to the ground."

Rando's eyes were smouldering when he turned his glare back up, but the look was instantly masked with a false congeniality that I would be embarrassed to ever let cross my face. If I could claim anything, it was that my own masks were far superior to his.

"I'll save that one for later then. Or maybe for your girlfriend there." He giggled, rising to his feet. "Of course, she's already quite small, so there may not be much difference."

It took a moment, but I did understand what he was implying. It was amusing at the very least, and simultaneously discomforting. I wondered briefly if Yusuke and I presented such an image of our relationship unintentionally. Perhaps I should ask Asako to check the rumor mill, just in case.

"Are you done talking?" Yusuke asked with disinterest bordering on irritation. "I didn't come all the way up this dumb mountain to chat with a demon."

Rando's eyes lit with interest, and no small degree of caution.

"Oh? So you're aware of what I am? And how long have you held onto this information, I wonder?" I noted his leg slipping back to a ready position, and Yusuke's stance shifted accordingly.

"Taru figured it out after your fight in that blackout room," Yusuke responded with a smug grin. "Although you could say we've been onto you from the start, seeing as you're the whole reason we're here. Just in case you didn't figure it out, we happen to be Spirit Detectives." The change in demeanor was minute, but noticeable all the same. Rando's eyes flashed in momentary unease, energy rapidly snapping with poorly concealed panic. The cornered beast stared down the first of its hunters, both fighters awaiting the other's first move.

"Yes, I thought I recognized that fireball attack," Genkai muttered under her breath, prompting all three of our heads to turn towards her. She glanced up, meeting my eyes for a brief moment before looking back at Rando.

"Ages ago, two renowned masters spent the last half of their lives perfecting the Circles of Inferno and that chant." I tilted my head curiously.

"And the chant does what, exactly?" I queried, and she frowned.

"That's not important, most especially since it seems your partner there isn't going to let him complete the spell. What does matter is the fact that the only people who could have taught this boy have been dead for centuries."

Kazuma made a noise of surprise, and I returned my gaze to the fight.

"Well, he is a demon after all."

The fight resumed, or rather, it truly began. Yusuke made the first move, flying at his opponent with a flurry of fists. Rando, eyes wide with some kindred emotion of fear, seemed just barely able to keep up. He leaped backwards again and again to avoid the glowing fists of the young human boy, mis-stepping every so often and providing an easy enough target for Yusuke to land blows on. My partner continued to push the demon back, and all the while, a small spark of suspicion grew to a whispering flame, then to a full fire.

_This is far too easy._

And as if my thoughts were a catalyst, the tides of the fight changed in an instant. The demon let out a yell and propelled himself into the air, his energy surrounding him and keeping him aloft in a bubble of green-tainted crimson. Red collected in his hands, which assumed a strangely specific position.

"Sickle and Tornado," he cried, the energy taking a new and distinct shape at his front. His arms extended outwards, leaving him in a pseudo-crane position in mid-air, circles of energy hovering just at his fingertips.

"Out of all my techniques, this one may just be my favorite," Rando admitted.

"Congratulations," Yusuke groused. "What the hell is it?" Gleefully sadistic laughter echoed over the barren land as the demon released the energy discs, sending them spinning like loose sawblades to carve out gouges in the earth. They sped towards Yusuke, tearing up turf as they went.

Said detective looked on, a determined gleam in his eyes overlayed onto mild panic.

"I once knew of a fighter who made quite a name for himself using this technique," Genkai mused, and I glanced toward her with interest. "It creates a vacuum around the opponent and causes air to escape violently from the body through cuts in the skin."

"Eugh!" Kazuma's face paled at the thought. "So it's like, drying out his body? Gross!"

I felt my eyes grow wide.

"And deplete the blood of oxygen, which would cause a whole host of system failures," I inferred, looking back with a mixture of intrigue and worry.

_This dolt…_

He braced his legs and crossed his arms in an X-shaped barrier across his chest and face, but the impact still managed to knock him off his feet. His sharp cry of pain was abruptly cut off when his back hit the ground with a dull thud, unfurling his body with the force of the attack to leave him sprawled defenselessly over the damp grass. Blood was minimal, but the hit had clearly been substantial. Yusuke's energy was cut nearly in half.

I watched the attack as it completed its journey, seeing them eventually dissipate into harmless whirlwinds, which were swept away by the natural breeze. The front of Yusuke's white shirt was torn, exposing the skin of his chest where two long, pink gashes lay, refusing to bleed.

_Interesting…_

"Ouch!" The boy pushed himself up, eyes blazing and teeth bared in a snarl. He scrambled back to his feet, remaining energy pulsing through him in time with his heart.

"Now that's surprising," Rando said with a discontented frown. "Most would pass out from the pain." He once again took to the air, and I pulled power into my eyes to watch the process his energy underwent more closely. It split at his chest, some focused at his back and entering the visible spectrum behind him in a body-sized halo to keep him airborne. The rest branched out into his arms, pulling at the air around him and harnessing wind within a bubble of energy. The trapped air, prompted by its container, began to spin rapidly.

"Shall we try it again?" The question was rhetorical, and Rando released his hold on the whirring blades of air and energy. They took off on their own, guided only by the direction in which they spun. The technique could be refined, as most of the six previous discs had missed their mark. This was meant for multiple opponents then. That in itself was telling. Either he was an ameture strategist, which was unlikely given his implied age, or he had energy to spare on using such draining attacks. The latter was more likely, and more worrying.

And Yusuke's solution to this? It would be difficult to dodge, as the disks seemed to change direction without a moments notice, much like the wind they harnessed. They could not be deflected, as the spinning would prevent that. No, Yusuke's solution was much simpler, and much stupider. Rando noticed this as well, narrowing his eyes.

"I dare you!" And it was a look I had seen too often on the boy's face which solidified his absolute idiocy. It was that expression which clearly spoke those irritating words, challenge accepted.

"It appears your friend is a fool," Genkai spat, and I couldn't help but agree.

Botan interjected hotly, "No, just mad!"

"A mad fool," I offered as a compromise, and Kazuma leaned forward towards the fight, his enthusiasm palpable.

"Come on, Urameshi! Don't be stupid!"

Yusuke took to the air, energy shooting through his legs to power this bold move, and made a running leap straight into the oncoming attacks. His arms crossed defensively with a thin layer of aquamarine as his only shield against the vacuum. The power surrounding Rando intensified, encompassing the demon and the immediate air space around him.

He screamed at the pain of every impact, body flying through the storm of torment like a heat-seeking missile, eyes locked on target and jaw set in grim determination. I could feel my nails digging into my palms, the miniscule pain grounding me, keeping me from interfering. Were this a normal fight, we would have won by now! This tournament could very well be what killed him for good this time. This stupid, asinine,_ pointless-_

"I don't know where he got the will to endure that kind of pain, but he's making it into the eye of the tornado!" I was snapped from my thoughts at Genkai's unusually solemn voice, looking down to find her regarding Yusuke with something akin to wonder.

"Urameshi can handle anything, no matter how much pain it is," Kazuma asserted confidently, though the fear in his eyes spoke of his concerns. I hoped he was right. Perhaps I knew he was right, but that nagging unease still bothered me. Even as Yusuke cleared the energy barrier, and the shock played beautifully across Rando's face, the feeling stayed. It was a cold stillness unlike anything I remember feeling before. A hollow sensation in my chest like a breath catching in the wake of an awful surprise, or a heartbeat skipping indefinitely. Watching his energy continue to drain in his efforts… it was… I felt-

_Fear?_

With a roar of finality, Yusuke collided with the demon, crossed wrists both pressing into his opponents throat and trapping his neck. Rando lost control of his energy at Yusuke's final burst of power, the boy effectively emptying his veins into the point of contact of the pseudo-choke.

They careened towards the ground, two blurs of color falling at a speed even gravity could not have prompted, and the impact with the Earth came with an almost anticlimactic thump. There should have been a snap. The demon's neck should have broken from the blow. Yusuke used the momentum, rolling to his knees a few paces away and breathing heavily. His eyes were nearly clouded over, resembling the sky above us far too much for my taste, and his breathing was labored.

Botan ran to him immediately, an enormous grin on her face, and Kazuma gave a triumphant cheer, punching the air at the perceived victory.

"You got him good, Yusuke! He'll probably be out for a week," Botan praised, standing beside the boy with arms outstretched as if to support him if he should fall, though he was able to stand well enough on his own.

"Well that's what happens when you piss me off. He wasn't kidding about the pain though." And he turned back to send me a grin much wider and more lively than he must have felt.

"So whaddaya think of that one, huh Taru? Pretty good, right?" I blinked, looking beyond him to the sprawled out form on the ground. The energy seemed to be gone, but that suspicion tugging at my gut was telling me otherwise.

Yusuke began walking back, his face pinched in confusion.

"Hey, what's up with your eyes?"

A flash of red, dark and foreboding, the grass around the body shriveling to black.

_Kuso!_

"Yusuke, stop!" I shouted, and his steps immediately halted, eyes going wide as he stared at me. But then, I saw the moment he understood my alarm. His face took on an unhealthy pallor, the glazed nature of his eyes fading to a bright panic. He whipped around just as an ominous voice filled the air with sinister laughter. The body of 'Shorin' sunk as the blackened grass beneath began to dip unnaturally. Botan took several steps back toward us, Kazuma immediately moving into a protective stance in front of the Spirit.

I watched as the crimson energy grew to new levels, unbound and undisguised, it clawed and lashed at the air around it like many caged beasts all vying for freedom. Power writhed, shaking the Earth with its wide reach, volatile in the malice it exuded.

"You should pray for your soul, boy. I've never shown my true form to anyone, so I can't go making exceptions now." The Earth split open, marsh water filling into the cracks and craters that gradually grew wider.

"You'll all die in the end, that's no secret," The demon continued. "The only mystery is this: How will I choose to torture you?"

From the largest fissure erupted volcanic energy, shooting into the sky like a massive wall of pure power. A figure bathed in blackness and cloaked in venomous red aura emerged, hair like a cape billowing in the air currents called into being by the sheer volume of the power. His energy carried him up, holding his changing body above the ground as the transformation took place. Muscles contorted and grew, the body reshaping itself into what I could only assume was his so-called true form.

His energy was everywhere, permeating the very ground, poisoning the air, and even polluting my ears with the static. From the featureless face, bright scarlet irises gleamed against stark white sclera, narrowed in sadistic glee at the alarm he found in Yusuke's expression.

"What the hell is that thing!?" Kazuma grated out, pointing at the ambiguous figure. Yusuke took a step back, bracing himself or preparing to retreat, I wasn't sure.

"That is a demon," I replied as the creature's energy lowered it to the ground. Color began leaking into the blackness of his skin as he gave a dark chuckle.

"That's right. I'm the one you're here for, children. Rando." Finally, the metamorphosis was complete.

His new skin was pale, as though he was a porcelain doll that had yet to be painted over. The hair was full and ran far past his hips, a sharp contrast to the bald monk disguise he had been wearing before. His features too had sharpened and grown more defined, no longer the round, almost innocent face of the young Shorin. Stretching over his forehead, across the bridge of his nose and over his cheekbones ran a marking of some kind in deep indigo, something resembling a spider with an elongated thorax, and across the startling definition of his chest and shoulders ran scars of unusual coloring. It was a warriors body, clad only in dark grey pants in the fighters style and a pair of shinobi slippers. Chiseled was perhaps the perfect word, a body cut from marble and shaped by the most careful of sculptor's hands.

In a word, he looked positively lethal.

"This is always the hardest part," he told Yusuke with a laugh, stalking towards him, and by extension the rest of us, with predatory intent. "Choosing which technique to use. Perhaps you can give me a good suggestion. I'd like to make your death particularly special."

The demon stopped a few paces away, his eyes flickering our way-_ my way_\- with a malevolent smirk.

"Or maybe you could offer an idea, Little Girl. You're quite the sadist, aren't you? Your two fights so far have proven that." I narrowed my eyes. He was not incorrect. There were several rather gruesome methods of execution running through my head. I could identify with his desire to make the death unique, at the very least. All of mine were.

His would be something quite spectacular.

"Hey, you're fighting me right now, in case you've forgotten," Yusuke snapped, and Rando returned his attention to his immediate opponent, feigning a polite smile.

"But of course. I don't mean to be rude, it's just that I don't anticipate this fight lasting very long." His smile twisted into a vicious sneer. "You're almost empty, Boy."

Yusuke smirked.

"Almost ain't all the way. I've still got plenty of ass-kicking ready for you."

Rando took the bluff with a scoff, crossing his arms.

"Well then, take your best shot," he challenged, standing straight and giving the detective a knowing look. Of course, he knew it. He could feel it just as easily as Genkai or I could. Yusuke, ever the fool, took up the challenge.

… … …

"Call the fight," I demanded of the old woman.

Yusuke hung upside down from a nearly dead tree, dangling over the marsh pool that now teamed with demonic fish. Bound by the white threads of energy from a technique long since lost, he was helpless to the whims of his opponent.

The demon had taken great pleasure in destroying the boy bit by bit, first trapping him and removing his autonomy, then flinging him about to crash headfirst into obstacles, and finally slamming him into the ground. Gleeful laughter filled the air, accompanied by the nearly unbearable harmony of suffering. Yusuke's body and spirit were both resilient, but neither could take much more of this.

_I_ couldn't take much more.

For all the pain I had caused, for all the agony I have enjoyed in the eyes and shrill screams of my prey, for the blood on my hands both a warm comfort and a burning filth, this was not something I could stand. Perhaps it was that I was not the one wringing the shrieks of pain from that fragile throat, or perhaps it was because I understood the elation the demon felt, having his victim at his mercy. It was a feeling like no other, to be in complete control of another's life. That feeling only grew when you knew that you and only you would have the privilege of taking that life.

Life was a delicate thing, an infinity of limited time on an infinitely limited world. Every second ticking by as just one in a hundred thousand million, yet every second seemed to matter most in the final heartbeats, in the last moments when it would be senseless to fight back. With the inevitable so close, what was there to do to stop the hand from cutting off the air to your lungs, stop the knife from reaching your heart through layers of viscera and bone?

Yusuke did not deserve that.

He should not exist in his final moments fighting to turn back the clock. He was above such humiliation. He was not prey, and he should not die as prey. The prey are the weak. Weak of body, of mind, and of will, but that was never enough to convince me. Weakness of character, I now understood, was what drove me to hunt. If there was anything I could comprehend about Yusuke, among all the unfathomable emotions and ideals, it was that his character was strong.

"I said call the fight."

Kazuma agreed: "He's had enough, it's not fair!"

The woman turned away, refusing to look at me.

"I will not."

My head tilted to the side, and I vaguely aware of Rando tossing some example demon into the infested waters. The sounds of carnage reached my ears, the ripping and tearing of flesh and the gurgling of a pair of lungs taking on too much water.

"What!?" Kazuma and Botan shrieked at the same moment, turning on the aged Gankai. "Why not?" She ignored them. I raised my voice over their dramatics.

"Call the fight or this tournament of yours is over." That got her attention, her eyes flicking up to me shrewdly.

"You would interfere and cost yourself an easy victory? The prize would be as good as yours," she reasoned, the tone of her voice suggesting she was tempting me on purpose. I narrowed my eyes. Where once there may have been a choice laid before me, my options were surprisingly slim. In fact, there was but a single path to take, and I did not question the logic behind it.

"The life of my _friend_ is worth far more to me than whatever power you can give. He is strong. Stronger than me, and given time, stronger than you." She pivoted on her toes, facing me fully now with a look full of vitriol and senile obstinance. She seemed to tower, despite her stature, her power angrily clawing and spitting under her skin.

"Your reliance on your friendship with that brat is weighing you down. Hold onto him too tightly, and you will drown with him." My lips twitched, teeth baring a touch while emotion surged up through my chest, raising me higher than I had ever thought possible. If she towered over me before, we were now at equal heights.

"If I rely on him, it is because he has proven that his virtues far outclass any obstacles that have stood in his path." I expected righteous anger, but instead she smirked, a gleam in her eye.

"If you really believe that, then you won't interfere." My eyes grew wide and I recoiled, feeling the sting of her words slapping me across the face. I… I believed in him, didn't I? But that doesn't justify leaving him to certain death, just on the off chance that he may follow his normal pattern and pull through.

And there was the choice I had been missing. Give him the easy way out, or wait for him to make it through on his own? Kazuma spoke again, his voice clear but his words somewhat hazy to me. Botan too added her grievances. Their words meant little in that moment, especially when the scene before us drew my eyes almost immediately.

Rando fired a Spirit Gun.

It was red and expansive, more resembling a flamethrower than a bullet. The energy exited his body in a vast wave, which took a directed shape only after it had been released. Like water conforming to the shape of a siphon, it spun itself into form and jetted towards Yusuke, passing him by with barely a hair's breadth of clearance. The tree it impacted some distance behind him was not so fortunate, splintering into tiny shards like toothpicks before dissolving into dust.

My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to relax. The technique was far from perfect, too much energy being wasted upon the execution and not enough being put behind the actual projectile. He clearly did not understand the mechanics properly, not that the Spirit Gun was terribly difficult to perform. Yusuke's had always been much more powerful, with greater force behind his attacks. If his energy returned to him somehow-

I caught a glimpse of his eyes. The expression was wrong. Such desolation didn't belong there.

"Genkai, you have to stop this!" Botan, her voice ringing with dread. "If you truly believe Hotaru will beat Rando in the next fight, there is no reason to let this go on! You'll just be letting _another_ demon kill off _another_ good human!"

Genkai rounded on the Spirit, eyes blazing with a pain I could not comprehend. Nor did I wish to. Her feelings were of little concern to me. She seemed to be holding her tongue, glaring at Botan as though wishing the woman would go up in flames.

"That's an innocent life you will be responsible for," Botan continued. "How many more people are you willing to let die for something like this? What if he wins the whole tournament? Will you still train him after he's killed off the best chances this world had at staying safe?"

It was subtle, and I did not recognize it immediately, but there was a small growth of something inside me, a little seed taking root in the recesses of my soul that I could easily ignore, if I so chose. However, my ability to reject it did not change the fact that it existed, and appeared to be thriving. A tiny blossom of respect for the blue-haired Spirit made itself at home in my mind.

Her argument, however moving, seemed to have no effect on Genkai. The old woman regained her composure in a matter of seconds, shaking her head in disappointment.

"There are things you do not understand," the woman began.

"Like what?" Botan interjected angrily, and my brother joined her.

"You can't justify letting that evil guy be your student, not after all he's done to Urameshi! It's not right!" Their combined efforts and united front did not impress the psychic, who only moved to get a better vantage point of the fight, positioning herself closer to me.

"Right or wrong, progress is what must prevail. It is a story even I cannot change. My powers must be carried forward, even if they will stay for a while in the hands of the wicked."

_And leave her free from consequences,_ I thought bitterly.

"Do you even hear yourself!?" Botan screamed, just as Kazuma hollered, "You're crazy!"

But even with all the arguments and the meaningless pleading for her to see logic, the fight had continued. Though calling it a fight was being particularly patronizing. It was an execution, slow and drawn out.

And it was coming to a close.

Rando's hand formed the familiar shape, childish in nature but carrying different meaning in the context of the supernatural world. Thumb and forefinger extended, taking so little time to properly set up his shot, he fired.

_"Urameshi!"_

It was wide and unfocused, not enough to kill Yusuke even in this weakened state, but Yusuke wasn't his target. The tree branch from which he hung was the intended destination, and with a resounding crack that echoed around in the fog, the branch was utterly destroyed. Yusuke's battered body began its descent, falling swiftly towards the water below. The briefest of changes in his countenance was possibly his last, a sudden switch from terror to anger.

_"This is DUMB!"_

He hit the water with a sickening splash, not even flailing before sinking below the surface. He had expended all his oxygen with his scream, and the fish below would not wait before making their move. There wasn't time to let logic make my choice. Instinct becomes second nature, as I told Kazuma.

I started forward, blade already singing around my arm.

"Stop!"

"Ru-Ru!"

And it wasn't the plea in Kazuma's voice that stopped me, nor the command in Genkai's tone. It was not the threat of disqualification or the fear for my own life. Such things I could never experience. My desperation, my drive to _kill that demon where he stood_ was not enough to keep me going when my body froze from the core outwards.

It was not the cold of the possession, but a complete stillness that enveloped me. I did not fight it, because it was _right_. I did not question it, because it was _good_. My power expanded, rippling out through my skin in the violet aura I was so familiar with. The blade faded into the miasma surrounding me. Then, the energy separated from my being in a feeling I can only liken to the sensation of stepping into the frigid winter air after leaving a warm house. It ripped away from me…

And shot towards the bubbling water.

"Hotaru!" Botan's concern was drowned out by Genkai's fury. She darted in front of me, teeth bared in a snarl.

"You idiot girl! Stop what you're doing or you're both disqualified!" Slowly, my eyes traveled down to meet hers.

"I'm… not doing this," I told her, calmly, a hint of wonder creeping into my voice. Her mouth opened as if to refute my claim, but she hesitated. Her penetrating gaze became assessing. My energy stabbed violently into the murky depths, nary a splash or ripple to be seen.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Genkai asked harshly, and I shrugged.

"Ru-Ru! What's going on? Are you alright?" Kazuma approached rapidly behind me, and I could feel him grabbing at my arm. He let out a yelp, jumping away and holding his fists protectively against his chest. It was a noise of pain, but I was certain he was alright. Something this morally correct would not harm my brother.

"What is this?" Rando questioned, taking a few steps in our direction. "I do believe outside interference is against the rules, unless I'm mistaken on how tournaments operate!" But his voice was completely silenced by one much quieter, one heavy with doubt and hope, tired and alert, echoing in my ears.

_-"… Taru?"-_

I blinked, then smiled. And it was real.

My energy drained rapidly, but that was little cause for concern. I fell to my knees with a gasp of pain, my aura growing dimmer second by second as aquamarine in the distance began to bloom. The last traces of warmth left me, slipping past my fingers and disappearing from sight. I could not have grabbed onto them if I wanted. The power knew where it was needed.

Genkai looked surprised, watching the final beams of light as they went.

"The boy is doing this?"

"You, hag! This means I win, doesn't it?"

_Not quite._

The shockwaves broke the Earth.

Light and sound united in a concussive force, breaching the large pond from a point far below the surface. Water was displaced wildly by the surge of pure power, rising with the light and vanishing as the heat evaporated it into mist. More water gathered and was subsequently executed in an endless volcanic cycle.

Then a figure, with the wall of power behind him like a massive aura, shot straight up from the pond. Aquamarine dancing delicately over his skin, soaked to the bone and covered in grime, Yusuke had never looked more alive.

"About my Spirit Gun," he shouted over the water and turf crashing down to earth behind him. "You're doing it all wrong!"

The demon snarled, "Oh really?" He pointed up, forefinger and thumb extended in a mockery of Yusuke's stance, and the boy mirrored it with practiced ease.

Yusuke grinned maliciously, and his aura of _my_ repurposed energy grew brighter, expanding around him to keep him in the air, exactly the way Rando had earlier. He was learning, and very quickly.

"Yeah! You hold too much back!" The light around him sunk into his skin, his very essence now irradiated blue as it focused, the proper way, in his hand. The perfect bullet hovered just beyond his index finger, setting his face alight with an ethereal glow. I felt the moment he pulled the trigger, an explosion of heat in my chest as though I had been shot by the small star. It was not power or energy, but some feeling that continued to grow, like a balloon expanding in my heart.

Triumph.

_"Spirit Gun!"_ The shot released, a bolt of azure careening towards the porcelain target. Rando hastily fired his own shot, carelessly crafted and nowhere near dense enough to stop the true Spirit Gun. It all but disintegrated when Yusuke's bullet punched through the red mass like it was made of paper. A look of horrified shock was all the reaction the demon could manage before he was struck squarely in the chest.

He grunted at the impact, then screamed as the pain hit him. He was flung away from the pond, skidding backwards over the ground and leaving a trench in his wake. He came crashing to a stop not more than a few paces away from our group, face pinched and body trembling.

"Good shot!" Botan cheered.

Kazuma punched the air in celebration, said: "Awe yeah! That's what I'm talking about, Uramesh!"

Yusuke landed, energy dissipating as he crouched on the grass. He smirked.

"Sure, you can use it more than once, but you lose the good old stopping power." He stood on sturdy legs, strutting across the grass towards his prey looking more like a proud peacock than any great hunter. As it should be.

"So, what do you have to say to that, huh?" His taunting fell on angry ears, Rando struggling to sit up from his hole in the ground. The demon was livid, practically foaming at the mouth with rage. He got to his feet, clawed hands curled into vicious fists.

"You…" he seethed, glaring darkly at Yusuke's wily grin. "You have caused me pain, you miserable brat! I do _not_ like that!"

Yusuke frowned, leaning forward a touch and cupping his ear.

"Sorry, what was that?"

The demon opened his mouth, likely to start shouting and cursing, but Yusuke's fist slammed into his face before the enemy could even get a fully-formed word out.

"I couldn't hear you, over the sound of you _losing_."

Rando staggered backwards with a yelp, but Yusuke didn't stop there. He kept up the assault, slamming his knuckles into every inch of visible skin he could reach. A yell built up in his throat when he landed the final strike, directly on the burnt spot his Spirit Gun had hit.

The demon coughed violently, blood ejecting from his mouth as his eyes threatened to fall from their sockets. As he hunched over, arms moving to cover that sensitive, thoroughly charred area of his chest, Yusuke's elbow came crashing down squarely on the back of his head. The man's eyes rolled back into his skull, mouth agape and with lines of blood dripping from the corners. He fell forward inelegantly, body landing motionless in the grass.

He did not get up.

Panting heavily, adrenaline wearing off to put on display his fatigue, Yusuke stood triumphant. Arms bracing himself on his knees, he cast one wary look back at Rando, who lay unconscious in his defeat.

"And that, boys and girls, is why we don't steal." He then looked thoughtful, and chuckled to himself. "Well, not techniques anyways."

He made to straighten his stance, and promptly collapsed onto the ground. Botan rushed over to him, and I grabbed Kazuma's hand in a silent question. My brother assisted me to stand, and we made it the few steps over to where Yusuke and Rando had both fallen. The former pushed at the ground to roll himself over, breathing heavily and wheezing somewhat.

"Cripes, he must've got me good. I can't hear a thing!" His eyes cracked open and he seemed to notice me, offering a weak smile. "Don't get any ideas about fighting me when I'm down. I may look like I can't move right now, but I'm very dangerous."

I scoffed as Botan laughed.

"Dangerously stupid," I told him. Kazuma grinned widely, a laugh at Yusuke's predicament bubbling in his chest.

"Gee Urameshi, looks like you're out of the race, huh?"

Yusuke frowned.

"What the hell are you saying, ugly?"

In a flash, Kazuma was over him and hauling him up by his battered white shirt, the decidedly ugly expression on his face displaying his displeasure at Yusuke's description.

"Say that again punk, I dare you," the tall boy hollered, but Yusuke's only response was to wrinkle his nose.

"Hell, I can smell your breath, so you're definitely talking. Get a mint or something!" Kazuma fumed, Yusuke ignoring him to pome a finger into his ear. He withdrew his hand with a look of disgust, and I raised my brow.

"Eugh! Swamp algae! Gross!" He shook off my brother to clean out the other ear, grimacing as he flicked the green growth away. A hand rubbed at his shoulder, massaging some pain while he smiled cheekily up at the rest of us.

"Guess I showed him, huh? You can tell me I'm awesome, I don't mind."

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, dolt."

Genkai cleared her throat, grabbing all our attentions. Her look of impatience was not as intense as it had been other times that day. If anything, she appeared curious.

"Winner, Urameshi Yusuke," she announced quietly, frowning. "I'm half tempted to disqualify you both, but considering you seemed surprised," she gave me a narrow look, "I'll give you two the chance to explain."

I glanced back down at Yusuke, who blinked in confusion. It took only a moment for his eyes to light in realization, and his head tilted up with a remarkably open expression.

"Oh yeah. Thanks for that, Taru! I thought I was fish food for sure!" My brow furrowed slightly.

"I did nothing- I thought that was _you_ taking my energy." Bemusement likened him to a perplexed puppy, doe-brown eyes completely clueless. He made a quiet, thoughtful noise, gripping his chin with a hand and frowning.

"Well that's weird, I coulda sworn-" He then looked alarmed, staring at the stern-gazed Genkai with a steadily growing pallor. "Hey, wait! You can't kick us out, we didn't do it on purpose!"

She scoffed, narrowing her eyes at the both of us in a way that made her seem somehow larger.

"I certainly can," she refuted, and my breath caught in my throat. Her glare was infinite, cool gaze assessing, calculating, judging. With a deep sigh, her eyes slid shut and she dipped her head.

"However, it is clear to me that the two of you possess capabilities far beyond your years… and your knowledge. You may both move on to the final round."

I could practically feel the complaint before it came, Yusuke griping immediately after that statement.

"Oh give us a break old lady! At least let us catch our breath first!"

"Yeah, he's all beat up and Ru-Ru's all out of energy," Kazuma chimed in. Botan interjected her thoughts as well.

"Surely it couldn't hurt to wait a little longer. After all, it's only down to these two, the fight can happen at any time."

"And waste more of my time?" Genkai spat, glaring at the four of us. "I think I've been lenient enough as it is, considering I'm dealing with Koenma's brats."

I could feel myself flinch at that.

"This has gone on long enough. You will decide the victor here and now. Final match, Urameshi Yusuke versus Kuwabara Hotaru."

* * *

…

The temple was somehow bigger on the inside, if that made any sense.

From outside, the rooms and hallways appeared slim, with most of the land being utilized as training fields and rock gardens, things of that sort. It reminded me heavily of a dojo I had once visited with Koori-Sensei years ago. Serene, quiet, not even the sound of running water to disturb the peace. Birdsong too was rare, and even those birds brave enough to pass over the wards would not dare to speak beyond the treeline.

Inside was no different, if only darker. The walls were wood until we reached the sleeping areas, after which they transitioned to rice paper. Artifacts and statues were immaculately clean. The floors were ancient, but polished to perfection with not a speck of dust or dirt to be had. I could appreciate this.

The rooms themselves, once we actually began walking through the compound, seemed too spacious to belong inside the limits established by simply looking at the place from outside. Furniture was sparse, likely adding to the illusion of space, and the only non-natural light was the candles that would conveniently light the moment we stepped into a room.

The floors alternated from wood to stone depending on the rooms use. The onsen, which we took great advantage of, was primarily stone. The kitchen, which we also spent quite some time in, was wood. So much space with so little to fill it seemed wasteful to me, though I supposed there was little for an old woman alone on a mountain to do other than walk around an empty house.

Though with company for the next six months, the temple would be anything but empty, and it assuredly would no longer be quiet.

Each of us was given a room to rest. The hour was late, and returning home now would only be a waste of precious energy. Botan had since left with our demon criminal, and it was unfortunate that I had not had any real chance to interact with him. A connoisseur of such ancient and rare knowledge would certainly be a valuable addition to my collection, however his immediate defeat and subsequent arrest before I could speak with him had effectively nulled my chances of obtaining him as a parolee. Perhaps I could convince Koenma to allow me to conduct an interrogation.

For the purposes of cataloguing and replicating the ninety-nine stolen and lost techniques, of course. It really would be a shame to let that skill and knowledge go to waste, rotting away in the mind of one who would never again have the chance to use them.

If anything, those techniques would be a hefty consolation prize after I lost the one I sought in the first place.

The door to my room slid open, the intruder standing there silent as the grave, but I could feel the anger clawing and chewing just behind closed lips. I looked over from where I knelt on the bed roll, my body facing the tapestry I had just been analyzing.

"Master Genkai," I greeted politely.

"Kuwabara Hotaru," she returned evenly, the simmering enmity just barely concealed in her brittle voice. "Perhaps you can explain to me why you saw fit to _forfeit your match_, and disgrace the very nature of martial arts."

She did not enter the room, I noticed. Nor did she remove her hands from behind her back. Keeping me at a distance, but why? Surely she realized I was no threat to her at this point. With Yusuke in recovery, my energy was coming back slower than usual. I chose to catalogue that oddity with the rest of our shared traits.

"I have many reasons," I informed her, and the fury nearly boiled over.

"You made a mockery of this tournament! How many reasons could there be to give up something that was as good as yours?" I blinked, tilting my head to the side as a thought occurred to me.

"If you will allow it, I would like to ask one, just one, question of my own, so that I may better understand how to answer you." Suspicion darkened her gaze, but she gave a curt nod of acceptance.

"What is your opinion of Spirit World?"

Her eyebrows disappeared under a faded pink hairline, irritated bemusement playing spectacularly across her face at the question that she clearly had not expected.

"What sort of question is that?" she barked, and I adopted a pleading expression.

"One that I very much need an honest answer to."

She scowled, and I was taken aback by the ferocity in that single expression.

"Don't put on faces around me you little brat! I may be old, but even I could pick apart Rando the moment he walked through my door. I see you just as easily as I saw him." Our locked gazes did not waver, though I did drop the false emotion from my face. That she was perceptive did not surprise me. She would have to be particularly dense not to have noticed anything, given the previous events of the day.

I nodded, an acquiescence to her request.

"As you wish, Master."

She sneered, and I wondered what exactly I had done to earn her ire.

"You don't get to call me that either, unless you forgot. You gave it up to that _dimwit_!" She jerked her head down the hallway, where I was certain Yusuke and Kazuma were fast asleep by now. It had been hours since the fights, baths, and dinner. I was surprised I was still awake, but the tapestry depiction of an ancient battle on eerily familiar landscape had kept my mind from shutting down.

"That dimwit, as you call him, more than earned the prize," I reminded her, referring of course to his satisfying victory over the demon.

"He had to use your energy to get it done," she growled back. "And don't think I've forgotten about that. You're too intelligent not to know something about it."

I could feel my eyes smiling.

"I will tell you what I know of that, if you tell me your opinion of Spirit World." Her teeth clicked when her mouth snapped shut, and the look she fixed upon me could easily have melted iron with its intensity. It was a dangerous game to play, but something about the way she said Koenma's name before, spitting it like she regretted letting it touch her tongue, made me think perhaps she might be infinitely more valuable than Rando. After all, she was human, a renowned psychic, and apparently of great worth to Spirit World. They wouldn't expect her to betray them.

Her gaze turned thoughtful, not losing any of its venom.

"Alright then. In my opinion, Spirit World's incompetence is matched only by their need to meddle in things that don't require their involvement." She frowned, and this time, I could gather it wasn't directed at me. "They're overbearing bureaucrats with far too much time on their hands and not enough brains to handle it. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Her sarcastic question prompted a smile from me, and it was real.

"In a sense. Will you not come in? This may take some time."

With Kurama, I could easily give the orders in his home and expect them to be followed. With this woman, weakened as I was, the situation required a little more delicacy in the form of polite discourse, starting with allowing her to encroach upon my space. She hesitated for only a brief moment before striding purposefully into the room, sitting across from me. It was clear to me this was to be strictly business.

"As I stated, I have several reasons for allowing Yusuke the victory. First and foremost, we agreed beforehand that the one to defeat Rando would be the one to gain your technique. Granted, I think he had completely forgotten about that at the time, but we did not know exactly what to expect when we came here. In a fair fight, he defeated Rando. In a fair fight, he would have beaten me as well.

"Secondly, I believe Yusuke is the more worthy of the two of us." I did not break eye contact, feeling this point was one that needed to be conveyed most out of them all. "Not only is he the better fighter, he is infinitely stronger of character than I am."

She scoffed, leaning back a touch.

"I believe I made it clear that moral shortcomings were the least of my concerns," she pointed out, and I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes, however morality is very important to me. I am not a particularly good person, but Yusuke is. You will likely find him the most difficult, cantankerous and stubborn student you have ever taken on. I assure you, he will also be the one to go further than any other could."

The truth could not be spoken any more plainly. It was his morality that first caught my attention. Where I had both dismissed it as weakness and envied it in the past, I recognized the strength it brought him. It only complicated matters in my mind if I attempted to be more virtuous, but it seemed to come to him like second nature. He would be the one to use her power in the right way, not me.

I've accepted that now.

"You speak highly of him," she remarked, and I nodded.

"His actions speak volumes more. I couldn't do him justice." She sneered, and for a moment I could feel the spark of anger, her expression an insult to my truth. _The_ truth, whether she would accept it or not.

"You place that boy upon a pedestal. You cling to him like a leech and you drink up everything he does with blind faith that he can do no wrong." Her accusations were cutting, or they were meant to be. I replied quickly.

"I hold him in high regard because he has proven to me that he is a person worth admiring." It came out a little more hotly than I expected, and I realized I had leaned into my point, my hands balled into fists. I slowly relaxed, pulling away.

"I do not deny that he has faults, and many of them. I simply pose that his virtues outweigh anything that may stain his reputation. My third reason," I continued quickly, not giving her a chance to interject again. "Is that I have responsibilities at home that I cannot afford to ignore for six months."

"Like what, exactly?" she questioned snarkily, and I fixed her with a wry smile.

"Aside from the image I need to maintain, I am the current parole officer of a demon criminal from a previous case of ours. In fact, he was the one who gave me most of the information I had about Rando. Granted it wasn't much, but he did have prior experience with the target."

I seemed to have surprised her once more, her gaze losing the resentment almost immediately. If anything, she looked almost impressed.

"A demon parolee, and he is cooperative?" She asked curiously, and I nodded.

"Quite. I would say we have a good working relationship. His favorable opinion of humans helps in that regard." She looked down thoughtfully, a hand cupping her chin in a motion that reminded me strongly of Yusuke. However, her eyes were far more shrewd, gears turning much more quickly in her head.

Then, she gave a dry smile.

It was so unlike her smirk or her sneer, though it still appeared as though she only just managed to keep it from a frown. It was a look that spoke of regret, and was not one I would have associated with someone of her countenance. She now lacked the coldness or the heat of impassioned rage that she had shown before. The sudden change was alarming.

"Well now, I see I really missed out," she muttered, giving me a hard stare. "Your abilities are remarkable for someone your age. To be frank, they're remarkable for any human. You and that boy there may very well surpass me, and sooner than you think. But," and her brow furrowed. "You of all people need a teacher. You need direction, and focus. I have no doubt you'll develop your powers well enough on your own. In fact, I'm expecting it. But without proper training, they may just end up growing the wrong way."

I bowed my head, looking at the floor to sift through her words. They were correct, and made sense. She was certainly a worthy person to train with, and it seemed I did not need to wear my masks, just the same as Koori-Sensei. It might be freeing to explore my own power in an environment like this, where I couldn't hurt anyone if… when things went awry. Perhaps Genkai could offer guidance on certain things.

"I found an elderly man at the edge of the Dark Forest today," she spoke, jerking me from my thoughts. It took me only a moment to understand why she was telling me this.

"Oh?" I asked casually. "Alive?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Yes. Him and the others who were lost in there and didn't make it through. Of course they all had some very interesting stories to tell, but none of them quite so strange as his." I hummed in interest, blinking slowly and waiting for her to ask her questions. She seemed to study me for a time before opening her mouth to speak, brown eyes ever judging.

"He wove quite a tale for me, and you may be surprised to find you feature in it quite a bit." Testing my reactions would not get anything out of me. I knew what he would say. Refuting it would be pointless. It was the word of the holy man against mine, and there was no question on who was more credible.

"He said you staged an ambush with a pack of wolves to attack anyone who made it through to the other side before killing off another man. Or, was it a wolf that killed him?"

"It was a wolf," I found myself unable to keep silent, cursing this growing defensiveness. "Alpha killed the man on my command." Her brows raised.

"Alpha? Interesting. He told me these animals were your familiars. You had a connection with them."

I nodded.

"They helped you through the forest."

Another nod.

She leaned forward, hands steepled before her face, hiding her mouth from view as she stared me down with intention. I did not see her power fluctuate or move in any way, nor did I get any feeling that this would end badly. My alarms were strangely silent despite the fact that she appeared, for all intents and purposes, to want me dead, or at least out of her home.

When she spoke, it was a quiet command, and one I felt rather inclined to obey.

* * *

**Aaaaaand scene! **

**So, that wasn't how I planned on ending it, but it was running too long and there was just too much packed in here. So now, let's unpack a bit, shall we? **

**In the original fight, Yusuke was pretty beat up and pretty immediately succumbed to Rando. Kuwabara's soul came in to save the day and transfer some energy, hence Yusuke jumping out of the water to surprise attack Rando. However, Hotaru had a lot more energy, and it recovers fairly quickly. No need for the surprise attack, and he had plenty leftover to give Rando the most satisfying beat down I've written so far.**

**Hotaru gave up! Plot twist? And what more is being said between her and Genkai? What are both of their motives? We may not find out for a while, orwe may find out next chapter. It all depends on how I feel about the events to come and what order they need to be in. At the very least, I like this chapter. It was fun, and I hope I faked you out there when I cut straight from the fights! Have a good night/day/time, and Ill see ya next week!**

**Meow for now!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Hey all, it's not Wednesday. It is Friday, and not even the right Friday, I'm well aware. **

**The last week or so has been particularly busy for me. I won't bore you with the details, but things should hopefully be settling down soon enough. If not, I guess you'll know when I fail to keep to my schedule. Either way, here's the chapter, and it was pretty fun! **

**We're getting into the bulk of our story now that good old boy Yusuke is away training for the Funimation Dub's six months. That's a lot more time to play around with, and I'm using that shit for all it's worth! So... yeah, expect the familiar plot you know to be on hold. Also, details for a companion story to this will be in the note at the end! You probably don't want to miss it. So yeah, on with the "sho!"**

* * *

_Coming in unannounced, drag my nails on the tile.  
I just followed your scent, you can just follow my smile.  
_

_All of your flaws are aligned with this mood of mine,  
cutting me to the bone, nothing left to leave behind.  
_

_You ought to keep me concealed, just like I was a weapon.  
I didn't come for a fight, but I will fight 'til the end._

_\- Irresistible - Fall Out Boy_

**See This Cake I Have? I'm Going to Eat It Too.**

To say Mab was displeased with the results of the tournament would be an understatement.

The intensity of her disappointment was such that it was all consuming of her body and mind, refusing to allow her thoughts to wander far until circling back eventually to the absolute failure that was the Genkai Tournament. These thoughts then accumulated into one massive headache, which could only be reduced by consumption of copious doses of the amber liquid in the glass bottle that Jorge, the sub-demon, had managed to procure upon request.

This liquid was no dandelion wine, but in combination with the calming tea the little prince was so kind to offer, it did alleviate the pain of the misfortune. It was enough to keep her from leaving Spirit World to possess the child herself and take advantage of the opportunity offered.

She had just… what had she been thinking? Giving up the opportunity to train with such a powerful human was easily the most foolish thing the idiot girl had done so far. What progress she could make would be passed to that _boy_!

Her reasoning, Mab supposed, made sense enough, most especially that secret which she saved for the old woman. However, perhaps it was not in her best interest to be prying so much.

The Yaksha, as they so called it, was growing more bold, more desperate. Hotaru had come dangerously close to losing herself completely, and while that was a sure sign of progress… It wasn't enough. She could only hope that if the girl did somehow discover the truth, she would know what to do with it. The old psychic could help, a valuable potential ally to be sure, and the two human boys. But the demon _filth_..

Kurama could wear a human skin as much as he wanted, could pretend to be a creature worth preserving, but in the end, he was a demon. Destruction and desolation was all he knew. Self-serving, power hungry beasts the lot of them, without a shred of decency to their names. Corruptive, corrosive, vile creatures had no reason for existing. Mab had seen this time and time again. Demons never changed. And oh, how she had tried…

Her eyes slid open, and she found herself staring at the door to her cell.

The charming little prince was lenient enough that she was permitted out quite often now, in fact whenever she wished. It was nice, this newfound freedom. Not having to resort to less dignified methods to leave the iron prison was certainly a step up, and the beverages were lovely as well. Such kindness would not be overlooked when the inevitable came to pass. These Spirits were quaint creatures, and it was a shame they weren't compatible for breeding. However, Mab was not quite so one-track-minded as many of her kin had been. Even without the need for their bodies, there were other ways they could be of use. With the right mouth to his ear, Dear Koenma could make a fine King of his realm.

But that was neither here nor there. She was in no position to be guiding the prince. No, a better candidate was currently being groomed for that position, a younger, more powerful ear that Mab herself could offer discreet whispers to ever now and then, and in turn, have those conniving, delicate lips sway Koenma.

Now, if only Hotaru would figure out her objectives.

* * *

…

Home was an idea of comfort. It is one word of a few that can invoke completely different reactions and memories for every person. Home is the singular concept that will immediately call to mind the feeling of familiarity, which in itself is an amenity.

Humans are most at ease among the familiar. People and places known to them are far less likely to bring about circumstances that put them out of their elements. Some are heavily resistant to change while others abandon the convenience routine without a second thought. Adaptation is just as much human nature as inflexibility, and both have their place. For me, in this instance, I tended towards the known world, towards the mundane fixtures of my childhood that stood tall despite the passage of time.

I lay awake for most of the early morning on the Tuesday after the long weekend. Silence reigned for the most part, broken by the occasional snore that came just a touch too loudly from Kazuma's room. Mami was, as per usual, curled into a tight ball at my side, letting loose a string of purring every now and then. The gentle rise and fall of her body and the warmth that permeated my blankets were two elements of the contentment I felt simply by existing in this space. Three distinct energies were in the positions and conditions they should be. I could feel the entire house, its empty corners and the dust that settled in a fine film over the very tops of the cabinets where Father was far too lazy to reach.

Quiet, still, breathlessly waiting for the day to begin, windows to be opened to let out the stale night air. Home was warm, and soft, and domestic in a way other places simply couldn't compare. The intimate shadow realm of the Dark Forest, the eerie marsh battleground, even the serenity of silence pervading the temple couldn't hold a candle to the conventional charm of home.

At home, my mind could wander freely. No mission plagued me, nor were there Spirits demanding my time and energy to do their dirty work. My life was mine to do with as I pleased, my time my own, and my thoughts able to roam to places I had perhaps pushed away for a later time.

All of this makes me wonder why, in my contentment, I felt so restless.

There was nothing. No new task to set my sights on, no prey to hunt down and eliminate, just the monotony of day to day life that left my mind free to be unfocused and unproductive. Even with all the potential points of speculation I had stored away for later consideration proved pointless to ponder. My information on the subjects was insufficient, and I had yet to find a way to attain reliable sources. What was there for me to do now without him?

I didn't realize how much of my time Urameshi really took up. I knew it was quite a bit, but to suddenly find myself lacking in activities, when before him I had been able to keep busy easily, was unnerving. I could only study demons for so long.

Quality time with Kazuma could only take up so much time of the day. He still had his friends to entertain him, which I did not begrudge. I myself had Kurama at the very least. Perhaps splitting up the time I would spend with Yusuke between the two of them… But doing what, exactly? My brother was unlikely to help me with anything productive, and my demon was far too preoccupied with his mother to pay proper attention.

And all the while, Yusuke would be growing stronger, better. He was already better than me, but the margin would only grow unless… Ah! Now _that_ was an idea.

* * *

Kurama studied me intensely as I took a casual sip of the quite over-caffeinated drink.

To describe the kitsune in a few brief words is difficult in its simplicity. There were too few words that I could really attribute to him- I could admit that I didn't really know him well at all. Shrewd was one, but it was easily the most obvious. An opportunist to be sure, though he had done nothing so far without some sort of plan, no matter how spur-of-the-moment things had been. Dedicated, of course, to maintaining his image and the wellbeing of his mother. Diligent, in that he covered every conceivable base and left nothing to chance. Coy, or perhaps impish would be the better word, as kitsune were rumored to be.

And of course, the all encompassing word that was saved for those very special people. He was good. Whatever that word entailed, and it was a very broad term, he embodied much in the same way Yusuke did. Perhaps not in action in every case, but in thoughts and intentions. Truly, 'good' was not a term I would use lightly in regards to others. Plenty of people can be decent without being good. Good covered many other descriptors, other adjectives to be applied.

At the moment, his eyes were some mix between all of the above, flashing through emotions very well concealed behind emerald orbs. His expressions were almost as amusing as Yusuke's, less charming simply due to his keeping them so hidden. Still, when one happened to appear, I enjoyed its brief debut and picked it apart with a hungry curiosity.

He was, all at once, trying to ascertain my motives, searching for the catch, entertaining the idea, and planning out his careful response. Such a methodic creature, and predictable only in the sense that he would think every possibility through and come up with the answer that best served him.

"I would assume your latest mission from Spirit World is what brought this on," he inferred, and I shrugged, watching his face from the corner of my eye.

"In a way. It certainly does increase the necessity, considering Yusuke had to use _my_ energy to win the fight. It could easily have been me in his place, and it's likely I would have had the same need."

I set the cup down, lacing my fingers together on the table.

"That _is_ a curiosity," he told me, eyes narrowing in… not suspicion, but perhaps a very focused interest. "I've of course seen energy given willingly from one to another, and obviously it is normal that energy is forcibly taken, but never have I heard of power being transferred involuntarily to an equally unknowing and unwilling body."

I sighed, my mouth tugging down at the corners.

"That is exactly what Genkai told me. I was hoping you might have more insight," I admitted, and he shook his head apologetically.

"No indeed, the phenomenon is not something I've encountered before. However, it does appear the two of you have a decent amount of luck on your side."

I scoffed, taking another sip of my drink. It was soothing, though the brew could have been stronger.

"I would agree, if I believed in luck. No, this is something more, and Spirit World is hiding it from me." His brows raised in open surprise, and I took a subtle breath to keep my temper in check. It wouldn't do to go spilling all my secrets now.

"Interesting. You said you play a game to win a prize. I had thought it to be something material. The prize you seek is information?" I ignored his question, focusing on the steam rising from my cup. The fragile white ceramic burned the pads of my hands, but the sensation was welcome. Pain was a point of focus, and the most easily obtained. The blood pulsing angrily in my veins _must_ be cooler than the cup.

"And it had not occurred to you to ask me to obtain this information?"

"The information is not my main goal," I admitted. "I did consider asking for your help, but I feel it is too early in the game to be utilizing you. In any case, it was my hope that your experience could shed some light on certain matters."

"Matters pertaining to your abilities," he inferred, and I nodded.

"The strange dynamics of mine and Yusuke's energies aside, I have other reasons for this proposal. On a personal level, I loathe to imagine that Yusuke might outclass me. I will not be left behind to depend on his strength and neglect building my own." He was already stronger than I, and if the gap were to widen further… it was an uncomfortable thought.

"From a more practical point of view, I don't want to be a hindrance in battle. Even if I cannot match his strength, I won't be a distraction from the goal, whatever that may be. Third, and stemming from that pragmatic position, I'd like to know what you are capable of."

He didn't look surprised, simply leaning forward on his elbows in a most dignified fashion.

"I see."

"You're still a relatively unknown element," I reasoned. "However, I can deduce from the known facts that sparring with you would be beneficial to the both of us. Training our energies separately can only do so much, but helping one another and learning more about each others skills and abilities will make us a more effective team, should the need arise for our alliance to become more than hypothetical."

He rested his chin on delicately twined fingers, his gaze assessing as though he was attempting to intimidate me into revealing some other motive. He would find that ineffective, as I had elected in favor of full honesty for this interaction.

"The known facts?" he asked, seemingly amused by my presumption.

"Hiei and Gouki were, in their own respects, relatively worthy opponents. That you were deemed necessary to their plans and apparently parted on decent terms with Hiei would indicate you aren't someone they would have wanted to cross." The coffee was starting to cool, was that from the cold of my hands leeching the warmth from the mug or because I had been taking very large gulps to quell the inexplicable pressure in my chest. Breathing proved slightly more difficult than usual, but the caffeine seemed to help somewhat.

"I would… appreciate it if you were to agree," I told him, and his lips twitched upwards in a teasing smile.

"Would you?" I blinked, watching as he feigned thought. Whatever it was that made him hesitate, I couldn't imagine. My reasoning was solid. If anything, he should be grateful for what I was offering. Not only would I get to know his unique skill sets, but he would be privy to mine. The way my mind worked in a fight was something only one other knew, and I found, shamefully, that I was unwilling to abstain from that closeness for six months.

"You are my _only_ option," I tried again, and at his raised brow, I rushed to reassure his ego. "You are also the optimal choice for this. I would not make this offer if I had any doubt that we would be an effective team."

He and I were at least compatible intellectually, even if I couldn't be sure of our physical congruency. His powers, what little I had seen of them, intrigued me. Whatever he had done to impress Hiei and Gouki was surely something worth seeking out. The way his energy, latent as it was, interacted with the vegetation in his home was a strong hint at his power. Of course, I was also not completely oblivious to the many uses of plant life in general. I imagine a giant venus flytrap might become a devourer of humans rather than pesky insects, and the variety of poisons secreted in the leaves and nectars of some tropical flowers might be particularly handy in multiple scenarios.

"I'm afraid I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to partnerships of the… mutually advantageous kind," he admitted, a delicate smirk just barely adding sharpness to the soft plains of his face.

I waited for him to continue, watching as he idly stirred the chilled contents of his own mug. Yet again, he had gotten here long before me and not bothered to wait until satisfying his thirst. It was quite rude, but his elegant demeanor somehow made it appear that I had been the one keeping him waiting, and that I should be grateful for his decision to stay and humor me. Of course, I did not allow my mind to fall into that trap. He was not the one controlling this meeting, or this alliance.

So of course, I was quite taken aback when he dropped the pretense of command and raised a hand to massage his temple in a most dignified way.

"What is it you are asking of me, exactly?" His eyes held nothing of the shrewd, searching gaze he had fixed me with before. Progress?

"Yusuke and I sparred fairly regularly," I informed him. "I had never had someone who could keep up with me physically before, and so our activities were an exercise in building endurance. However, he is not by any stretch of the imagination my _intellectual_ equal."

He raised a brow, almost sardonically.

"And I assume you consider me intelligent enough to keep up with your thirteen years," he quipped. My head listed to the side slowly, the new angle giving me a better view of the sparkling annoyance in his expression.

"I'm well aware of your mental superiority. Don't assume my age speaks to my maturity." He gave an airy laugh at that, eyes sliding shut as though in dismissal.

"Of course, my mistake," he conceded, chuckling once more upon glancing at my frown. "So then, you want to hone your cerebral acuity. Strategy and whatnot, yes?"

I nodded.

"Among other things. With Yusuke gone, I'd like to make our alliance official and have your assistance on coming assignments, should I need it. You could ingratiate yourself to Spirit World at the very least." He nodded, a look of acceptance settling on his tired features.

"Regaining my former power is a tempting idea, though one I was unsure how to go about achieving. I think this is an acceptable solution to both our problems," he said with a winning smile. I could feel the elation of triumph tugging my lips up, my eyelids narrowing just slightly as the smile touched them delicately.

"I am glad you agree," I told him, then cleared my throat when I recognized a note of some undignified emotion ringing in my own voice. He chuckled at my blunder, pushing his cup to the center of the table to indicate he was ready to leave. I slung the strap of my purse over my shoulder in response.

"Yes, well, it's difficult to argue with someone so impossible to deny," he said in a way that seemed teasing. I stood with him, exiting the dimly-lit cafe onto the street. The afternoon still hung strongly to the sky, people in suits and jackets forming a sea of grey through which I lead us to our destination.

I cocked my head to the side, brow furrowed.

"Impossible to deny? Is that supposed to mean something?" Certainly my reasoning was without fault, if not painfully simplistic, but I would have thought 'impossible to argue with' might have been a better descriptor. Then again, Kurama's very essence radiated an intelligence factor far above my own. Even if I should compile an argument of infallible logic, I have little doubt he could find a way to convince me I was wrong.

Hm. Perhaps not quite that far, but he could hold his own in a debate, I was sure. His school records paired with our past interactions showed he was fully capable of storing and cataloguing information, as well as analyzing it, then drawing conclusions. His words, like his actions, carried intent, and the almost knowing quality of his voice gave me pause.

"It may," he affirmed, looking down at me with an expression nothing short of mischievous. "You have quite the _charm_ about you."

Teasing again. I blinked rapidly, then scoffed to dismiss his odd humor.

"Most who really know me would disagree," I informed him, and he hummed in acknowledgement. Conversation was silenced when we stepped onto the train, riding alongside salarymen in the cramped space. How they could stand to be so close together, packed like live sardines in a can of pointless monotony, I'll never understand. It was a dead, colorless world they existed in, only the occasional breaks in the monochrome providing relief for their eyes. Kurama and I,with such bright and unusual features, must surely have had their undead minds whirring with questions and accusations they were far too polite to voice. They should feel honored to share the space with us, to have such diversity introduced to their day.

We arrived at the shopping center shortly thereafter, the streets here less overrun by walking greys and more lively, stiff suits replaced with comfortable sweaters and bluejeans. Kurama wasted no time striking up conversation again, and I was unsure if this was an admirable testament to his social skills, or vaguely irritating.

"Much as I don't enjoy leaving Mother alone longer than I must, it will make her happy to know I am spending time with a friend," he expressed with an audible smile. "She's always been insistent I socialize with people my own age, and as those are in short supply…"

My chest constricted briefly in a huff of laughter.

"I suppose millenia-old human children would be rather difficult to come by," I replied.

"Of course, the fact that it is you specifically will please her greatly. I'm sure you remember how much she approves of you." I rolled my eyes, as I certainly _did_ remember, and I knew where this conversation was headed.

"You're old enough to have a private life, you know. I shouldn't be required to make appearances just to put her mind at ease." I happened to glance up and caught sight of his pleading, puppy-like eyes.

Puppy-like, with just a hint of sharp focus.

"I would personally appreciate it, and it would be further incentive to follow through with this idea you've had here." The building came into view, the road nearly devoid of pedestrians now save those whose businesses doubled as their homes.

What was once a rather busy strip had lost popularity in favor of the entertainment areas further South. Weekdays tended to be more active, as these businesses primarily offered services of an educational kind, but weekend nights likened the place to a graveyard. This was fortunate for the two of us, as I anticipated the occasional unexplainable incident to occur. The fewer witnesses to deal with, the better.

"You're adding to the conditions of our agreement," I pointed out to him chidingly, and he gave me a look of helpless indifference.

"You were the one who inserted yourself into her life, and you made quite an impact."

I clenched my teeth, my breathing audible as I tried to keep it from becoming a growl.

"I will… _consider_ it."

He smiled warmly, victoriously.

"That is all I could ask."

I'd kill him someday, but unlike when I kill Yusuke, it would be quick. I wouldn't dream of giving him time to think his way around it.

I turned sharply up a small flight of stairs towards the familiar doors of the dojo. The lights were off, for the most part, and jiggling the doorknob confirmed my suspicions.

"Koori-Sensei is away," I informed Kurama, taking a step back for a moment to bring my purse to the front. "That is probably for the best. I'd rather not have to introduce you quite yet. He can be temperamental about these things."

"I see. Did you have another place in…" Kurama stopped speaking as I procured my key ring from the bottom of the bag, flashing it briefly in his direction. The proper key found its home in the deadbolt and with a loud metallic pop, my teachers absence was a nonissue.

"Sensei and I have an understanding, as well as a certain level of trust," I explained briefly. "I tend to be his only visitor since he stopped offering classes."

The lights flickered on when my fingers flipped the switch just inside the hall. To the right was the dojo, wooden floors covered in mats that were kept pristine despite their lack of common use. These days, it was mainly myself and Yusuke who would use the room for its intended purpose.

"Are you his caretaker then?" Kurama asked, placing his shoes on the near empty rack beside mine. His socks followed, folded and tucked neatly away. "Forgive me, but that hardly seems to be a role you would easily fall into."

I hummed in thought.

"No. He is self-reliant, for the most part. I have had need of this area in the past, and he happens to live here." I gestured to the closed door on the left, which lead to Koori-Sensei's modest living accomodations. "This place is… something of a home away from home. A sanctuary if you will."

"Sanctuary?" Kurama paused, standing beside me in the training room. His eyes were locked onto the weaponry decorating the walls, but his voice indicated his attention was solely on me. "Now, what could you need sanctuary from, I wonder."

I blinked.

_~ Eyes flickered in a spaztic dance from spot to spot in the shadows of the night._

_The tabby cat wrapped securely in my shivering arms, I took aimless steps through the darkness. The scent of blood still clung heavily to me, or perhaps it was my imagination. The streets were quiet enough, but that silence encouraged my mind to invent sound on its own. Whispers in my ears, slapping of feet on pavement, it echoes through the stillness._

_Breaths came shorter with each motion._

_I avoided street lights. Even if it was unlikely anyone was awake at this time, I felt perhaps the light might expose me to whatever force may have followed me from the alley, illuminating their target. In case this imaginary hunter was listening, I did not dare to run or make other noise._

_My fingers dug into the cat's fur._

_Taking her had seemed like a good idea at the time, and I was being proven quite correct at that moment. Her body heat and the subtle rumble of the low pur were somewhat grounding, even as I stumbled blindly around sharp corners. Sharp, familiar corners…_

_With a new destination in mind, I switched directions, my pace quickening, but only slightly. Quiet, must be quiet._

_The door was in sight. It was blue, like most of the others. Unlike the rest, the placard above was inscribed with a particular name and profession. I took one shaking hand away from the warm bundle of fluff to try the knob. It didn't budge._

I should go to the window. It's unlocked.

_I hesitated when that thought came to me. How could I know this? Had I left it unlocked on my last visit? No, I would do no such thing, and it would have been corrected by the end of the day anyways. Another student? Or was I simply being undeservingly optimistic?_

_I tiptoed around the side of the building, creeping through the shadows to keep out of the stale yellow light. The window was just above my head. I reached an experimental arm up to push on the glass._

_It slid up._

_I pushed further until I could just barely reach the edge with my fingertips, then lifted the heavy feline up to the sill._

_"Go inside," I told her with a light push. She complied. I should have been more surprised that she actually did what I asked, but in that moment, I was acutely aware of the fact that I was completely alone, with my back to the entire world and my front now empty and chilled._

_My breathing quickened._

_I scrambled up the wall as quickly as I could, forsaking stealth for the security of the inside. Surely that character of the night already knew where I was, and was closing in on my position. I could practically feel hands a hairs breadth away from my back, clawing and grabbing ruthlessly, melting into arms, then a torso, then a face cloaked in blackness-_

_I slipped, falling to the floor with a dull thud. After a moment of panic, I realized I had been successful, shooting to a stand to slam the window shut. I turned the lock. And now the silence was broken by the gentle pounding of my heart, and the pathetic, shuddering breaths escaping my lungs._

_My fingers were curled tight over the windowsill, only the unrelenting grip I maintained would stop the tremors. I flinched when something bumped my leg, but it took less that a second for me to remember the animal that had proven so useful._

_I knelt down, allowing my body the rest it so desperately craved. The cat wound around my knees and arms, her tail tickling my nose every pass. She chirped, a gentle demand, and after sitting against the wall (my body letting out a long-suffering sigh of resentment) I pulled her warmth into my lap, gently massaging her scalp, behind her ears, her neck, her chin, everywhere she guided me to. Following orders, even silent ones, was a refreshing change of pace. I could take the moment to relax my mind, plan my next move. Perhaps I could-_

_"Oi! Who's there?" My entire body jolted violently, and not a moment later, the overhead lights flickered to life. I hissed in pain as my eyes stung, covering my face and abandoning the rhythmic ministrations. My body curled instinctively, shying away from the intrusive light, and the presence in the doorway._

_"Kuwabara… Hotaru?"_

_"Koori-Sensei," I replied quietly. "Please, turn that off!"_

_I heard something thud to the ground and the uneven sound of three legs hobbling in my direction. The cat made a shrill noise and leaped from my thighs, claws leaving small holes in my jeans when she did. They pricked my skin, but I couldn't find it within myself to care._

_"What the hell are ya doin' here, an' so late!?"_

_Loud, he was so loud._

_"It's dark," I explained, my voice more shaky than I would have liked. "I need… help. They're after… I just need-" I shook my head, jumping when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It should have invoked feelings of panic. I was aware of that. But I knew these hands. I had seen them, touched them, felt them hurting and soothing me for years now. This was my sensei._

_"Okay, alright. Come on now, on your feet."_

_Time is strange. No sooner did he say that than I was somehow in his kitchen, a steaming mug of tea sitting on the oak table before me. Not enough time had passed, surely, for us to have moved all the way here, for him to have made tea. Yet he moved to sit across from me, the end of his cane clacking against the wood planks of his kitchen floor._

_"You okay, Lil' Brat?" He asked, voice softer than I ever remember it being._

_"Of course, I am," I replied, reaching for the tea and throwing back the contents in one swift gulp. It helped, the burning as the liquid ran down my throat a further point of focus for my disoriented mind. Still, the tea was very sweet, and thin. Did he have anything stronger?_

_"Ah… right," he had a brow raised questioningly when I looked up, and I slid my cup across the table to him, a silent request. He poured me another cup, which I accepted with both hands and sipped much more slowly._

_"Ya mind tellin' me what yer doin' out so late? Where's the family? I thought ye would be-"_

_"Mother's dead," I interrupted him, and was satisfied when his teeth clicked. I made no effort to look at him when I spoke. His reactions were easy to guess. "I went for a walk. I found a cat. I was going home."_

_Easy lies, simple, obvious, easy to remember and easy to embellish on. Ask me any question. I may or may not have a response ready. Maybe I'd make one up on the spot and see how far I could take it before the truth was pulled out of me._

_"Ye went for a walk in the middle of the night, without a jacket?" he asked, voice thick with suspicion. "Just a walk? Then why the hell do ya look so spooked? Like ya seen a ghost."_

_My chest grew tight in the split second it took for him to utter the word. Could it collapse completely. Would my sternum give in under the pressure of emotion and crush what few organs it could reach? Would my rib cage follow suit? I imagined each individual bone spearing through a lung, maybe one of the heart ventricles, and the image was something of an amusement. I smiled at the thought._

_The phone rang._

_Both our heads whipped around, staring at in silence. It rang again, and with an unsteady pair of legs, Koori-Sensei rose to grab it from the hook, pressing the device to his ear with a look of confusion._

_"Moshi, moshi," he uttered into the receiver, and his thick brows nearly disappeared into his receding hairline. "Kuwabara-San?"_

Don't. My hands are so filthy already.

_He met my eyes._

_"No, no, I was already awake. What's wrong?"_

Don't do this, I don't want to do this.

_My stomach turned violently, undulating against the bottom of my ribs in sharp movements until I was sure it was going to come alive and crawl out of my mouth. My thoracic cavity continued its threat to cave in._

_"Did they?" He asked, then listened for a moment. "Ah, that kid…"_

Please… don't.

_Another beat of silence passed. His eyes bore into mine, and I stared back unblinking. I think perhaps I wasn't breathing either. I could feel the itch in my hands, but weather that was from the lack of oxygen in my blood, or the memory of taking a life that was still so fresh in my mind, was uncertain. Every second that passed was a second I was falling. The abyss was deep and unending, light fading the further down I went._

_What else was there to do? The black faded to red._

_"No, I haven't seen her."_

_The red shattered into several thousand pieces._

_"Of course, I'll call ya if she shows up." Another pause. "Good luck, let me know when ya do. … Goodnight."_

_He pressed a button, the small beep indicating the line had been cut, and placed the phone back onto the hook with an audible click._

_"Thank you, Sensei."_

_He gave me an inscrutable look._

_"Finish your tea." ~_

"Whatever inconveniences me," I replied to Kurama's question. "Family drama, for the most part. It tends to happen when you have siblings with such a large age gap."

He made a thoughtful noise, following me into the room.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know. Large families are not exactly common among demons."

I shed my sweater, standing barefoot several paces away from Kurama. I half considered changing into a pair of pants, but the clothes were locked in one of the cabinets I did not have a key to. I doubted Kurama would appreciate me fighting in my underwear so… pink skirt it was.

"Weapons and energy are off-limits," I stated, to which he nodded.

"That seems fair, considering it is our first time."

"My thoughts exactly," I said with a smile. Then I moved.

_Sporadic. Don't follow a pattern._

My fist, which would have impacted the very area his stab wound had been, passed through thin air as he leaped to the side to avoid me. I tracked him as he took a step to move behind me, turning before he could do so and kicking out at his side.

He hopped back, giving himself enough time to settle into a low crouch before I was on him again. His face was nearly devoid of emotion, eyes sharp and focused, analyzing every facet of his surroundings. I continued on the offensive, dropping my body and sweeping my leg at his feet. He jumped back once more, but to the side as well, forcing me to turn to face him for my next assault. He wasn't going to let me back him into a corner. He was certainly no Yusuke.

From the ground, I pushed off to strike his chin, which he leaned away from. His hands moved quickly, the first sign of a counter, one to give my arm a quick, forceful push away. The other sped forward towards my chest. Taking a gamble, I breathed in deeply, moving with his strike and allowing it to make contact. The moment it did, I threw my hips into a spin. The split second he was off balance was enough to allow my fist to sneak under his arms.

My knuckles impacted a sturdy abdomen, one that was almost unbefitting when placed in comparison to his delicate appearance. It was good to know he could take a hit, especially as that earned me little more than a quiet grunt before he dropped an elbow. I pulled back enough to regain my footing, then darted to the side to make a quick jab at his exposed ribs.

My hand met his arm, and he blocked in the same manner when I switched my attention to his neck. Again he leaned away, using his height to his advantage and taking a quick step back.

He didn't go far. His eyes widened and I smirked, dropping my chest to the floor to leverage my body, pushing my hands against the mat. I twisted my legs, which now effectively trapped his front ankle between them, and yanked his foot out from under him. He fell as I righted myself, and I surged up for the metaphorical kill just as he gracefully regained his bearing. He used the momentum from my attack to fling himself onto his hands, then to flip back to a crouch.

I was already upon him with a hard kick to the center of his chest, which impacted with a satisfying thud. His thighs touched the floor briefly, and I pulled back just long enough for him to find his footing again. His gaze had darkened somewhat, but I wasn't worried just yet. I was, however, refraining from checking the state of his energy. I hadn't had the time to properly study him without his knowledge, and after the information I had gathered from Genkai… I was eager to see what Kurama looked like on the inside.

"I can certainly see how Hiei had such a hard time with you," Kurama voiced, sliding back into a ready stance. "You fight exceptionally well for someone your age."

"I could say the same, _grandfather_," I flung back without thinking, but he only smiled a little wider. My spine stiffened when suspicion hit me. He gave no indication that he was in any pain, and with that glimmer of amusement in his now laughing eyes… I needed to fight harder.

"You clearly impressed him, even if he wouldn't admit it outright," Kurama continued.

"Considering we were using weapons, and trying to kill one another, I'd be insulted if he implied anything else." I paused then, and tilted my head as the words registered. "When, exactly, did you have the opportunity to speak to him?"

He gave a coy smirk, letting his arms hang defenselessly at his side, but blading his stance. A challenge, and one I could not refuse, though he was clearly baiting me.

Resigning myself to the inevitable, I took little caution in my approach. No longer cataloguing, his eyes were simply watching, waiting. He moved with a fluidity that would make any cat jealous, weaving around every strike as though my every motion was simply displacing him. He moved as water around a boulder, and if I hadn't been watching his eyes, I wouldn't have seen his next move.

He spun in a quick circle around me, my eyes barely able to track his movements, when he suddenly disappeared from my sight. Anticipating this, I threw myself into a forward roll just as his leg came sweeping through where my shoulders had just been- only to come face to face with the wall.

I turned halfway, pushing away before he could corner me and throwing a kick at his head. He fell neatly into several back handsprings, carrying himself a safe distance away. I followed in the fastest approximation of a sprint I could in such limited space, launching both fists into a flurry of punches that were easily (frustratingly) blocked or completely dodged.

"Very good," he praised, and in the brief moment before his hands found purchase on the front of my shirt, I realized he had completely taken control of this exercise. _My_ exercise.

He gave a tug, the low effort behind his movements deceiving as I was practically sent flying forward. In a single deft motion, his long legs carried him just far enough away that I couldn't reach him. A spinning kick nearly shattered my spine, and I crashed to the floor on my hands and knees. The wind was knocked out of me, the middle of my back stinging from the precision of the impact. I gritted my teeth and, without stopping, rolled with the kick onto my shoulder and sprang to my feet.

His head cocked innocently to the side, he gave me an appraising look. The demon's feet shifted to a defensive stance once more, and my response was to throw myself back into the very one-sided fight. Now, just a little differently.

I jumped, and his eyes bugged for a moment before he raised both hands to block the incoming kick. I pushed off from his wrists into a somersault backwards, landing in a crouch that did not hold for very long. Bouncing like a pinball from the floor and walls, I struck from every high vantage point I could, using his defensive maneuvers to my advantage. Every arm raised to block was something for my small hands to grip, to either pull or use as leverage.

Several times he attempted to put distance between us, clearly not comfortable with fighting so close range. I didn't let him, using my size and density to mimic a ricocheting bullet. Every blow I landed was a satisfying, yet completely empty victory.

His defenses switched suddenly, keeping himself low to the ground to force me into keeping off the walls. His latest response lead me to the very center of the room, away from anything I could use to bounce off of, and his knee eventually crushing my rib cage in a sharp, decisive blow tossed me across the floor.

Not as hard as Yusuke. Not even close. But damn… it stung.

The next set of tactics in my repertoire was considerably more intimate, and the way I nearly crawled up his arm and back seemed to make him more unsteady than before. He made an attempt to subdue me only once, wrapping both his arms around my upper body to restrict my movement.

I dropped like a stone, letting my weight take both of us down. He let out an involuntary gasp of surprise, his grip loosening just slightly. I rolled so that he was on his back and broke his hold, wrenching myself from his hands and getting to my feet at the same time as him. It was with satisfaction I noticed he was breathing… not heavily, but audibly. It was an encouraging change from his placid demeanor earlier.

"Forgive me for saying so, but you're heavier than you look," he said apologetically, and with just a hint of curiosity.

"I am very dense," I told him by way of explanation. Then I frowned. "Ah, dense musculature, that is."

He chuckled warmly.

"Most unusual, isn't it? I did notice you are more sturdy than your physical appearance suggests, almost more stone than flesh. How well do you swim, I wonder?" I frowned at his question.

"Well enough not to die, but getting places is difficult." He nodded in understanding at my admission.

"I can imagine."

It went on for some time. For every style I utilized, he would take varying spans of time to adapt, suffering minimal damage before turning the fight back in his favor. I hit the floor as many times as I hit him. When I exhausted my bank of knowledge, I left it up to Yusuke's tried and true method. Straight and obvious.

My fist flew toward his face, a painfully direct attack with nothing else prepared to follow it up. This was the end of the fight, and both of us knew that. In a smooth movement, Kurama leaned to the side and caught my wrist-

Then hauled me up by my arm, my body swinging through the air in a wide arc before I was slammed to the floor. My head bounced, legs flailing helplessly, and my mouth open in mixed shock and pain. The force of the finishing blow left me breathless, the concussive force rippling through my back and into my lungs, which seemed under several metric tons of pressure. Every breath came out in an embarrassing wheeze, my eyelids fighting to stay open. I did not move- wasn't sure I could just yet.

My only solace was that the demon's breathing was almost as labored. He made no move to continue an assault, nor did he release my arm. His slender hands were hot with the energy of the fight, the sweat between our skin somehow not completely disgusting. The room was warm with kinetic energy, the tension from before resolved in the way I had become most familiar with. I was acutely aware of the other body in the room, pulsing with adrenaline and reverberating with a steadily decreasing heartbeat. A faint scent that was entirely Kurama permeated the air…

A stark reminder that he was _not_ Yusuke.

I tapped the ground three times with my free hand, the sound seeming to break whatever stillness had settled there.

"I surrender," I quipped dryly, twisting my arm gently to give him a hint. He released me after a moment, moving to sit down where he crouched and rubbing a hand over his neck.

"And here I thought you may never call the fight," he teased, and my lips twitched.

"I do this with Yusuke. I'm quite accustomed to admitting when I've been beaten." He gave a short laugh as I forced myself up to a seated position. I assessed the room for damage, noting with relief that Kurama seemed to have a considerable amount more restraint and awareness than my usual partner. The trophy shelf managed to stay on the wall today, and none of the mats were too out of place. Cleanup would be quick today.

I stood slowly, not willing to stumble in present company, but walking proved more unappealing as the adrenaline continued to wear off. I reached the cooler in the back corner, claiming two of the slightly chilled water bottles (I would need to replace the ice packs soon) and returning to the other occupant in the room. He accepted my gift with a nod of thanks, and the momentary peace as both of us gave our bodies time to rest was just as refreshing as the water that trickled in a tiny bead down my chin. I wiped at my cheek, flinching as my shoulders burned.

When fighting Yusuke, my body tended to ache and throb all over from the bruises and fractures that accumulated when I was punched mercilessly time and time again. Today however, the pain I felt was much deeper, seeming to pour out from every organ as though each one of them had been personally assaulted. My muscles were ablaze if I so much as tried to lift my arms, my upper back having carried me through much of the fight that evening.

I set aside the bottle and began to contort into various positions, stretching every muscle I could find. Kurama watched, looking vaguely entertained. I narrowed my eyes.

"I suppose you don't need to stretch with your physiology?" I asked with a touch of accusation, and he gave an elegant shrug, pushing his bangs from his eyes.

"My energy does well to regulate the state of my muscles, even in a mostly human body." I blinked, looking at him sideways as I stretched the side of my ribs.

"So then your demon energy doesn't have an adverse reaction, despite your human body? I would think the two would be incompatible." He shook his head, bringing a hand to his chest as though he could touch his power.

"Not at all. In fact human energy and demon energy are virtually the same in regards to consistency. The differences lie in the source of the power, as well as the way it is utilized. Demons tend to have much deeper connections to their ki, likely because it is the definition of our species. So long as we understand our own power, the state of our body doesn't matter." I nodded, listening attentively. If that were the case, was it possible to transfer demon energy into a human, or vise versa, for the receiver to utilize? Questions for another time I supposed, but certainly something to follow up on.

I straightened my back (it hurt to do so) and tilted my head, gaining his attention.

"May I look at your energy?"

He blinked, bemusement evident on his face. His hands rested on his thighs harmlessly, but I did notice his fingers twitch in a reaction to whatever emotion he was concealing.

"You wish for me to use my power?" he asked, uncertain, and I shook my head.

"No, that won't be necessary. I am able to see the conduits of ki inside others bodies, which I have been recently informed is both unusual and somewhat invasive, hence why I ask," I explained. "From what Master Genkai has told me, most psychics are capable of seeing auras, and of perceiving the energy when it is in use. My sight extends further."

It was his turn to look intrigued, and I felt my shoulders fall just a bit in disappointment.

"I take it this is uncommon in demons as well."

"I have only ever heard of the technique once before, but the people in whose blood it was carried are long since extinct. I'm afraid I cannot help you understand this either, however I would not be adverse if you wished to use me to study this ability."

I was mildly surprised by his willingness to cooperate, though I suppose helping me explore this ability would be beneficial to him as well. He had no doubt already imagined several ways to use this power to his benefit, even if I could not see them.

"Alright."

As before during the tournament, I pulled energy from the depths of my body, letting it flow into my eyes with intention, and Kurama's body slowly began to change before me. An intricate system of veins ran in a vaguely human shape, pulsing and dancing a vibrant amethyst that was both darker and more radiant than my own, which seemed dull in comparison.

Swimming through the canals slowly, the energy shimmered and turned, seeming to flow in the same direction, in a concentrated loop to a single, defined circular shape at the center of the demon's chest. Where in Yusuke and Kazuma, and even Genkai, the mass of energy which was the source was always amorphous, vast and reaching across the body like some vague mist that simply existed alongside the body and tapered off into slim passages. This orb, as it were, was like an organ itself, sitting in place fixed and unmoving.

The dark, nebulous amethyst was not the only color there, for in the orb there refracted shades of red, glinting as though underneath faceted glass. From the sphere, the conduits of energy sprang like roots or branches from a tree.

I felt soft fabric under my fingertips, realizing idly that I had reached out to touch what my eyes could see, yet encountered the body which housed the treasure. I settled for tracing the edge of the shape, watching as it fluctuated in response to my touch, as the power radiated out to the muscles and injuries. The healing process was marked in a faded red, like bruises of energy. I pressed down further, feeling a hard chest but seeing the ki react, dimming where my hand rested as if shying away.

"Fascinating," I muttered, and the temptation to reach out with my own energy was strong. It was strange, but I did not feel the pull that Yusuke's energy seemed to invoke. My power was silent, doing the bare minimum to soothe my body and nothing more. No reaction to Kurama's whatsoever.

"Indeed." His reply was followed by a slight pulse that thumped out from the sphere, yet my ki still remained ignorant.

Strange. Even Kazuma prompted something, even if it was not as strong. Perhaps because he was a demon? Did Rando's energy look like this? I was never terribly close to him, nor was I quite so focused. His energy was also either in use or utterly depleted, so there was no sure way to know if this was typical. Perhaps I could find another demon to use as a comparison.

And I knew just the place to find some.

* * *

**Ominous, no? Or maybe just curious. This chapter was a fun bit of development for our girl. Seems like she's okay with not being the best? Maybe? I like the mental imagery of the normally placid Kurama throwing someone into the ground. He isn't really a close-range fighter, and without weapons or powers, he had to step outside his comfort zone. It was fun walking the line there to make him a threat without making him the best. So there's that.**

**I considered Finger Eleven's _Paralyzer_ for the song this chapter, but decided against it at the last minute after hearing the opening of _Irresistible_. Just a reminder that not every song is from Hotaru's perspective. **

**As I said in the beginning of the chapter, there will be a companion story to this, which will be a good bit shorter, but will cover much of what isn't covered here. Spoilers are out of the question, but I have a feeling if you like this story, you'll like the companion as well. And if you don't like Hotaru... well, you may like her more, or less, considering she is NOT the protagonist! It will be coming out in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out if you're really that invested. **

**Meow for now!**


	24. Chapter 23

**Friday again, sorry about that. Hopefully the next chapter will be out quicker so I can get back on my normal schedule. It's been a hectic time for us, but like I said last chapter, things are kinda starting to settle down.  
**

**Things are going to be happening soon here. Very soon. Characters are moving into position, things are being set up, and my god, I'm getting closer and closer to the second story. The update schedule might possibly change a little more, considering the two stories will be linked. I may update biweekly with the stories alternating weeks, and I may not. No guarantee on that yet. Anyways, enjoy, and on with the "sho!"**

* * *

_If you ask me why I lie to you,_  
_I can tell you I don't know myself._  
_It's amazingly dishonest._  
_But I'd have to recognize it_  
_as part of myself._

_And if you ask me why I hurt you,_  
_I don't understand it._  
_I can't help myself._  
_Its a special combination_  
_of predatory instinct_  
_and simple ill will._

_I would give some thought to it_  
_if I thought that it might do me_  
_some good._

_-Why I Lie - Liz Phair_

**The Search for Friendship**

"Minamino-San is not abusing me."

Obvious bruising and the flinch when Asako grabbed my shoulders told the two girls otherwise. Naturally I didn't escape our sparring session unscathed, especially as Kurama was quite adept at causing me to end up on my back rather painfully. The majority of his effort always went to that final blow, and my shoulders certainly felt it. I should like to think he carried several bruises on his midsection, though if he somehow remained perfectly immaculate, I wouldn't be surprised.

"So then you're fighting again," Hitomi inferred, Asako standing just beside her with arms crossed, and I let out a deep sigh, hoping I managed to conceal the vast well of irritation pooling inside of me.

"I've decided to attend lessons at the dojo again, not that it's really any of your concern," I gave both girls a narrow-eyed look. They leaned over my desk and I fought the urge to recoil from the close proximity. "Minamino is a good sparring partner I've recently found."

"Sparring?" Asako sounded… disappointed? She pouted, brows furrowed sadly. "So you're really not dating him?"

Then she gained a devilish grin.

"So that means he's available!"

Hitomi's eyes grew wide as saucers as she looked at her friend, and I'm sure my own matched the expression. Asako's grin only widened, and she thrust a finger in my face.

"_Ah-ha!_ You totally like him! You just panicked- it's written all over your face!" Her triumphant crowing drew some attention, other students whispering around our small group. Eyes burned into me from all sides, and it was with great difficulty I resisted breaking the finger less than an inch away from my nose.

"That's rude!" Hitomi batted the other girl's hand away, bright blue orbs sparkling furiously. "You know how private Hotaru is, you don't need to call attention to it!"

She turned a critical eye to me as the other nursed her hand.

"We really don't mind that you're with someone- I mean it," she added as I opened my mouth to protest. "And I think picking up your karate again is great. It will keep you out of trouble- no, I'm not finished." She held up a finger, cutting me off yet again. My teeth clenched painfully, and I was sure they would crack.

"You of all people need an outlet, and this is good for you. We're sorry if we've contributed to your stress at all," she said with her eyes downcast, and my will to interject died instantly. Asako nodded, also refusing to meet my eyes.

"I know I can be pushy, but it's just because I worry! As long as you're happy, and this guy's treating you right, then it's all okay with us." As one, they gave a shallow, but respectful bow.

I blinked, suddenly feeling very self conscious as eyes were once again focused on us. I felt this should be touching, and there was certainly something within me that inspired some sort of calm acceptance. At the same time, it irked me somewhat that they seemed to believe my social life, meager as it was, required their approval. However, despite their rather bold presumptions of their importance, their arrogance could work in my favor. I manufactured my best impression of fond exasperation, smiling and shaking my head.

"Girls… I'm sorry." They looked up in surprise, and my eyelids fluttered with visible hesitancy. "Minamino is also a very private person, but I feel I should tell you this, if only to keep you from worrying. You see, his mother was quite ill recently. She nearly died."

The gasps of horror were right on cue, and I sighed internally at how simple this was.

"So you've been distant because of his mother?" Hitomi asked quizzically, and I shrugged. "And you never told us… so we wouldn't be tempted to intrude."

"I'm sorry to have kept this from you, but I didn't need to add onto his stress."

A tiny grimace here, a dip in tone there, and the two girls were tripping over themselves with apologies and reassurances, which I accepted gratefully and without hesitation. It was perfectly alright, no matter at all. Everything was forgiven.

Because we were _friends_.

It was with this the status quo was restored. Our relationship returned to normal, with the small exception of one or both of the girls offering some friendly ribbing regarding my 'boyfriend' Minamino. Their casual way of bringing it up was distracting. Were they hoping I would invite them along on a 'date', or were they hoping for me to start divulging the secrets of my relationship? As it was, there was nothing to tell… until I mentioned offhand that I would be helping his mother with dinner that night. This was at his insistence of course, for the sake of appearing normal. For both of us.

I was certainly no fool. I knew perfectly well how much he was enjoying putting me in this situation. My discomfort brought him no end of amusement, which he made perfectly clear every time the affair would be brought up, and until the night in question. When the red-haired demon opened the door to welcome me inside, I paused, unsure as I could feel no other presence inside. We would be alone, and this time it would be inside his territory.

And he now had a fairly intimate knowledge of my fighting style.

"Kurama, where is your mother?" My initial suspicion was taken in with an amicable smile and a gesture for me to enter.

"She will return shortly. Surely you don't expect me to have eyes on her every minute of the day," he teased, closing the door behind me. Immediately, the scent of coffee beans made its way to me, a temptation beckoning me further in. I dutifully followed.

"Would you be surprised if I said that's exactly what I'd expect?" I returned, and the smile somehow managed to be wolfish without showing teeth.

The home seemed different, though nothing had changed aesthetically. Potted plants still created the intricate web of ki that thickened the air, the decor had remained in tact, and it was still quite well-kept. However, there was this lived-in quality to it, displayed in the extra slippers at the mat, the coat slung haphazardly over the rack, and upon entering the kitchen I could spot even more evidence. A calendar hung open on the wall, dates marked in blue somewhere in late September. Reading glasses and note pads cluttered a small space on the counter.

How odd that his abode seemed so empty before. It was like looking through a catalogue of furnished houses, everything pristine and unused and ready for presentation, but the moment Shiori returned, the house began to resemble a home.

"She seems to be settling in well," I told him, moving to the table with my school bag. "I brought her a 'welcome home' gift this time, if you want to inspect it."

He looked mildly surprised when I procured a white box, holding out both hands to accept the gift. He examined the container for a moment before removing the lid, eyes more curious than suspicious. His brows raised further when he beheld the contents.

"Hotaru-Chan, you shouldn't have," he exclaimed lightly, as was protocol for receiving a gift, then gave a pleased smile. "I believe she will appreciate this, but they do look rather expensive. And I'm under the assumption you used your own money and not some stipend from Spirit World."

I blinked for a moment, caught off guard, then let out a genuine laugh of scorn.

"Spirit World does _not_ pay us," I informed him, and he smiled wryly. "As for the price… you can tell her it came from a bargain store if that would help her accept it."

He quirked a quizzical brow, said: "I doubt she will believe that, these are quite unique."

I shrugged, moving to sit at the table.

"A few pieces of kitchenware is hardly any inconvenience for me." He closed the lid and set the box on the table, nodding in agreement. As he moved further into the kitchen, I carefully eyed the window to the right.

"Quite an interesting design. She may not want to use them," Kurama said as he puttered around in the cabinets.

I only hummed quietly in response. Those same two women had walked by twice, three times if one could count when I first arrived. They cast not-so-subtle glances at the home every pass. I remember having seen them before, the first time I visited Kurama's lair and again twice after. They circled like buzzards or sharks, or some other unsavory animal with an annoying proclivity for picking on the dead.

The clacking of ceramic on wood stole my attention back, and I smoothed my pinched features. Coffee aroma wafted up to my nose without provocation. A curiosity gripped me for just a moment, wondering if perhaps he grew his own cacao plants. I'd wager he could. But that thought left quickly as I settled my hands around the white mug.

"Sometimes, nosy neighbors are just that," he said in a way that was both teasing and reassuring, sitting across from me with his own cup of liquid caffeine. "They were quite curious about you, Mei-San and Kimiko-San. Apparently they've been fueling the rumor mill for weeks now with just the talk of our supposed involvement."

I took a sip, registering and enjoying the way the bitter drink scalded my tongue. It went down smoothly, heat spreading from my throat into my chest, and out from there as if the coffee had gone directly to my heart and was now in my veins.

"Is that going to be an issue?" I asked, then nodded to the window. "Your mother may not be a socialite, but I imagine such closely-packed communities have ways of spreading gossip even to shut-ins."

At this, he gave a dignified laugh, hiding his smile most politely.

"She was quite pleased, actually. It only confirmed for her that I wasn't completely alone while she was away. She's very grateful to you." I rolled my eyes at his earnest tone, leaning back in my chair in what was almost a slouch.

"She is ignorant of the true nature of our acquaintance, the same as those prattling women. Her feelings on the matter have little weight, as they are based on lies." His smile did not waver, which confused me even more.

"I don't think it matters much if it was your intention. Your actions have made her happy, which is something I also appreciate." This was straying into territory far too personal. I gave him a cold expression that I did not feel, pulling my hands away from the center of the table and leaving my mug where it was.

"Don't forget that I once threatened her life," I reminded him sharply, and his eyes flashed for a moment. His warmth receded, thankfully. "You shouldn't encourage her behavior. I am not her friend, nor do I have time to be. I'm not even _your_ friend, and I'm certainly not gossip material. We give the appearance of a platonic friendship, and nothing more. It is a farce, or are you really fool enough to believe that my simpering and pandering are genuine?"

He was far too polished in his craft to show hurt, but there was some emotion in his gaze that lingered, even as the lines of his face grew stern.

"You're being defensive," he accused, a humorless smirk curling his lips briefly. "Not to mention, contradictory. First you try to ingratiate yourself to me, and now you pull away. Could it be that you are beginning to believe your own lies?" I gave his question a narrow-eyed look, looking back out the window quickly.

"You're projecting," I replied. "My attempts to gain your favor have nothing to do with a desire to be your friend. You are well aware of what I want."

"I am," he agreed. "Are you?"

"I don't have the patience for your mind games, _demon_," I spat, standing abruptly. The chair I occupied scraped against the floor obnoxiously, followed closely by his own as he rose to meet me. "You will inform your mother I had a family emergency and could not attend-"

So, naturally, the door opens at that exact moment, and my mouth snaps shut. My eyes darted to the kitchen doorway briefly, as did his, and as one we returned to our seats. Shiori entered the scene, purse in hand, to see the two of us sharing an amicable cup of coffee, her son laughing politely at something I had just said. Her eyes sparkled warmly.

"Hello Mother," Kurama's voice was normal, natural, as though the past minute or so had never happened.

"Minamino-San," I greeted with an equally jovial smile. I stood to bow and was shocked when My small frame was pulled into a sudden embrace, her longer arms completely trapping me against a soft chest.

"Hotaru-Chan! It was so good of you to come!"

_Twist, elbow to the fragile ribs, bring my head back to meet the chin as it comes down, stomp down hard on a foot to throw off balance, turn and send a fist through the solar plexus-_

Stop. It's just Minamino.

It took me a moment, but I returned the embrace, albeit briefly.

"Of course, I did promise." I stepped back with a smile, taking the box from the table and presenting it with a shy smile. "Also, I wanted to give you your 'welcome home' gift. I only wish I'd gotten a warning so it wouldn't be so belated," I added, shooting the demon a look of mock scolding. He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Minamino took the box gingerly with both hands, her eyes wide in wonder.

"Oh dear, you shouldn't have," she echoed Kurama's sentiment from earlier, though her iteration was an honest reaction. "I really didn't mind, you really went to all the trouble?"

I waved her concerns away with a blush, staring pointedly at my feet.

"It was no trouble, truly. In fact, picking them out was all too easy." She opened the box, her eyes growing wide as saucers. I watched intently, gauging her reaction as she took out one of the measuring spoons. The gleaming sterling silver was, like the rest of the set, crafted into a shape that resembled a blossoming flower, the dip engraved with the carving of a rose while leaves sprung at the top to frame some other bloom, which was colored with bits of dyed shell that formed petals. Every piece bore different flowers, as did the display shelf they were meant to rest on.

"Oh, Hotaru," she breathed out, and I could feel the small hand of triumph tugging at the corner of my mouth. "This is far too much!"

"Not at all," I assured her, expecting such a reaction. She still looked hesitant, though she couldn't keep the pleased smile from her face. "They were bargain, really. I only thought the aesthetic might compliment your home."

It was by chance that I caught sight of them. I didn't normally frequent that particular shopping center, but the window display caught my eye immediately. It was an easy decision to make, and the set hadn't been terribly expensive.

"They're certainly lovely," she admitted, admiring the way they glinted even in the limited light from the ceiling. "I'm sure I'd never use them with how pretty they are. I might just display them." I gave her a sunny smile.

"Either way, I thought they would be right at home here. You can't go wrong with something both useful and pretty." She beamed at me and moved in for another hug, one which I responded to appropriately this time.

"Thank you," she said, voice thick with gratitude. "This was far too much for just a housewarming present. You realize now you've challenged me. I'll have to find something just as nice for you!"

That was… unexpected, but I could work around it.

"You don't need to go through the trouble, and I expect nothing," I told her, speaking in a way I hoped was final. "Perhaps think of this as belated celebration of your return to life. Without your recovery, Shuichi would still be a miserable layabout."

With the commencement of my teasing Kurama and his faking being offended, the encounter was swiftly becoming formulaic, mirroring the very first time the three of us shared a meal. Shiori was pleasant, just shy of ecstatic, and I was reminded of Kurama's confessions some time ago, that her social life had taken a dive after his birth. It appeared, however, he intended to use me to begin her recovery in that field. Why someone as intelligent as he would come to such a ludicrous conclusion was beyond me.

Thanks to the demon's superior acting abilities, our near spat was easy to ignore for the time being, the two of us playing the part of close friends well enough. It was almost enough to make me regret rejecting his offering. It had been going exactly the way I wanted, hadn't it? My response to his friendly advances was quite an overreaction.

On the other hand, while my goal was for them to favor me, it wasn't for them to get attached.

"Have you spent much time with that other friend of yours?" Shiori asked innocently, fork halfway to her mouth. "That boy, Yusuke I believe? Shuichi speaks highly of you both. He says you've been friends for quite some time, always together."

_Oddly specific._

"Yusuke is attending an educational camp of sorts, some sort of junior police academy," I lied easily, and the woman seemed quite impressed, setting both hands down to give me all of her attention.

"Really? Is he interested in law enforcement? That's wonderful!" I smiled, and Kurama cut in smoothly.

"He and Hotaru both have quite an interest in law," he tells her with a sideways glance my way. Cheeky.

"Oh? And here I remember you saying you were partial to psychology," she remarked, and I shrugged good-naturedly.

"Laws are rewritten and amended more frequently now that the study of the mind is more widely accepted. The efforts to make things more fair would be wasted without the ability to understand the nature of humanity." The woman nodded in agreement, and I even caught Kurama give a subtle tilt of his head.

"Well, what will you do now that he is gone for- oh, how long did you say it was?" Again, an all too innocent tone to her voice left me a little more than suspicious.

"Six months. I've promised my brother I'd be spending more time with him, helping with his studies and what not. And of course, Shuichi seems to be taking up more and more of my time. Not that I mind," I added, aiming a meaningful look in the demon's direction. If he noticed, he gave no indication. He only smiled.

"Well, I hope he's as good company to you as he is to me," Shiori tittered.

"He's an absolute-_ACK!_"

My throat convulsed when I caught sight of a flash of abnormal blue over the woman's shoulder, dissolving into coughs and averting my eyes. Mother and son stared at me with identical expressions of surprised concern. That is, until Kurama's eyes darkened as he felt the fourth presence in the room.

"Hotaru-Chan? Are you alright?" I responded to Shiori's question with a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Minamino-San," I assured her. "If it's not too much trouble, may I use your restroom?"

I could not leave the table fast enough as she insisted I go. The moment I closed the door, I rounded on the ferry girl who had followed me. She, for all she had just done, did not seem the least bit worried that I intended to rip out her voice box the moment we were not in the Minamino's bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed quietly, aware that the home was rather small and my voice would certainly carry, at the very least to Kurama's ears.

"Oh, no need to be so snippy," Botan replied with a dismissive wave. She had no need to keep her voice down, as Shiori would hear nothing, but I still flinched at her volume. "I've only come to give you your next case. Here now- we received reports that the entire staff of a farm in-"

"No," I cut her off. To her credit, her mouth only hung open for three seconds total before snapping shut with the force of a mousetrap. She pulled back her hands, which had been offering a manilla file folder.

"No? What do you mean no!?" I clenched my teeth, feeling my chest swell with something stronger than irritation, but not quite fury.

"You do not have the right to intrude on my life whenever the desire strikes your little brain," I snapped quietly. I ignored her look of extreme offense, pressing on. Clearly, Yusuke let her get away with far too much if she felt this was acceptable behavior. "If you must give me my assignments immediately, we will need some other form of communication, or else you will leave any and all files on my desk, in my bedroom."

She opened her mouth, and I pressed one finger roughly against her lips.

"You will not risk being exposed. You have no way of knowing who is able to see you. Had we been at my home, this entire operation would have been revealed, and that would be unlucky for both of us. So, Botan, you will now go and put whatever relevant information you have in my room. Won't you."

Now that she had the opportunity to speak, the reaper was occupied with her silent fuming. Her magenta eyes blazed with a bright indignance that was reflective in the aura that was now visibly hovering around her body.

"I will _not_," she snarled- snarled? Had I really pushed her so far as to lose her temper in such a way? That was sure to be entertaining. "Listen Missy, you may be a Spirit Detective, but I've served Spirit World for years now, and I'm not going to be bossed around by my own project! This is your job you know."

I frowned, and she thrust the file under my nose.

"Now, as I was _trying_ to say," she began in a waspish tone, "We've been informed of demon activity on a dairy farm near Tokyo. The entire human staff went missing, and the last investigator we sent has gone silent. I've told Koenma you were on the case, and that I would assist you. Though I'm starting to regret making _that_ assertion," she added in a muttered complaint.

I did not touch the file, staring over it and through her.

"You can leave it on my desk. We can go tomorrow, after school. I am not missing any more of my classes to this job."

Her face went slack for a moment before she seemed to increase in size with her anger, looming over me in the air like some large, cotton-candy themed kami.

"_You'd rather go to class than save lives!?_" she practically screeched, and I leaned away, rubbing my ear with a frown.

"In so many words," I confirmed, and she reached forward, hands coming close to tangling in my collar. I caught her wrist, only just remembering to push her away and release before I could do anything I would most likely regret.

Though there was that small chance I would have _zero_ regrets.

"_Oh! _You and Yusuke both, you're impossible!" She spat and sputtered, and I crossed my arms defiantly.

"I have an image to maintain," I told her quietly. "I have a future to plan for. I cannot skip class whenever I feel like it just for these cases. I'm not Yusuke. We will leave tomorrow, after school, unless you feel confident in your ability to handle the situation yourself."

She didn't respond, and I gave her a satisfied smirk.

"Do you understand?" Her eyes flickered briefly with some primal anger, deep and unrelenting, and I was half tempted to keep digging into that emotion. She was normally so superficial. I wonder how it felt for her to experience things with such intensity as unbridled rage.

"I understand, _perfectly_," she hissed through gritted teeth, and I gave her a saccharine smile.

"Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, I abandoned the Spirit to her own devices. I managed to suppress the satisfaction, keeping my expression neutral as I re-entered the kitchen.

"Sorry to worry you. Seems my lungs won't allow me to further tease Shuichi-Kun." Shiori laughed. I met eyes with Kurama.

Clearly, he had questions. They would have to wait, as I returned to my seat, leaning over to pull the chair in closer behind me. Shiori suddenly made a quiet noise, and I looked up, still slightly hunched over.

"Oh, that's a cute necklace," she remarked, and I could feel my teeth cracking with the strength I used to clench them shut. The abomination must have been knocked loose when Botan made a grab for my collar.

"Ah, thank you," I smiled after a moment, sitting down somewhat awkwardly. "It was a gift from my brother." I couldn't move the thing out of sight, that would look strange since she'd just complimented it. Instead, I unhooked the chain and held it out for her to inspect, watching her hands as they accepted the jewelry delicately.

"That's so sweet of you to keep wearing it, even in middle school," she remarked, and I blinked, feeling the slight heat of embarrassment creeping over my neck.

"Actually, Minamino-San, he gave that to me less than a month ago," I confessed, and she looked startled, unsure how to proceed without being offensive. "It's childish, I know. He has yet to understand that I am beyond that age. I wouldn't wear it if he hadn't been the one to give it to me."

She then looked somewhat bemused, handing the necklace back with a curious smile.

"Perhaps you could explain to him what girls your age like," she encouraged, and I shrugged.

"There's no guarantee it will stick. He is very set in his ways." I returned the pendant to its rightful home, palming it briefly before letting it rest on top of the shirt, completely visible. "In any case, it makes him happy to see me wearing it. That's worth the embarrassment."

She outright grinned, practically swooning when I looked up again, and the approval in her gaze was nothing short of motherly. I couldn't help but feel like I was under the lense of a particularly maternal microscope, and I was that difficult sort of specimen that was easily mistaken for something entirely different, which would result in an incorrect answer being filled in.

"You're a very good sister. I hope your brother appreciates your sacrifices," she joked, and I was forced to give a small giggle.

"Oh, he doesn't know the half of it."

* * *

While I expected the tension to return the moment the door closed behind us, the atmosphere remained fairly civil. He walked closely beside me as we made our way to the train station, obviously mulling over what information he now had.

I found myself unable to decide which direction in which to take our relationship. Where before I had appreciated the mutual respect between us, I now noticed it had perhaps become more. Certainly, I enjoyed his company when he was not embarrassing me in front of anyone we happened to come across. It was a little game of his, I think, to make me lose my composure, though it lacked the malice with which I pushed at Botan. His actions spoke of familiarity one might associate with people who were in fact longtime friends, and not just play-acting the part.

He was like me, and yet not. He lied and manipulated every facet of his life while managing to somehow be a decent person. It was having his cake and eating it too, and it was some miracle of nature that landed him the luck of charm he so liberally utilized.

Yet also like me, his world would cease to be if his lies were discovered. So perhaps my jealousy was pointless.

"Will you be needing my assistance tomorrow?" He spoke suddenly, and I turned to give him a blank stare. "Your next assignment," he clarified, and my momentary confusion cleared.

"I will let you know when I read the full report. As it stands, Botan and I should be able to handle it." It seemed that was what he had been waiting to hear, as his eyes immediately slid away in a casual motion.

"I can't imagine the two of you make a very effective team, what with how you were at each others throats tonight." The pointed question in his tone gave me pause, but I dismissed it as a casual reprimand. My morals, or lack thereof, were not important at the moment.

"This will be a test run of sorts. Up until now, it has been Yusuke and I running the missions alone. She is not one to engage in the dirty work without reason. I believe she is meant to be assessing how I handle solo assignments. Spirit World wouldn't put someone as useless as her in a fight unless they were truly desperate."

He chuckled, and I glanced his way with a frown. His eyes sparkled warmly with mirth, and though part of me was unsure if the emotional attachment was worth allowing, the look was one that put me at ease.

"You really have a low opinion of her, don't you," he accused jovially. "Now I wonder what brought that about. The first time I saw the three of you together, you were quite civil."

I tilted my head, searching the shallow pool of memories regarding Botan in an effort to come up with some answer that might satisfy his curiosity.

"Initially, I viewed her as a possible source of information from Spirit World, one who could be manipulated quite easily. Despite her lacking intellect, her blind loyalty and inability to question orders makes her virtually useless on that front. As for her healing ability," I patted my skirt pocket, "I have my curse pen, it does the job well enough."

Come to think of it, I should have used the pen rather than attend school with the bruises. It was easy to forget that it could be invaluable in a day-to-day capacity.

"Then you mean to say she is useless to you, and therefore not worth your kindness," He mused with a quirked brow.

"That is the implication, yes," I replied. "I don't waste myself on those things which will not help me achieve my goals."

"So you have said before." He gave a little half-smile. "As far as selfish humans go, you are particularly demonic."

_~"You would make an excellent demon. It's really a pity you were born human." Garnet eyes stared through me to my soul, mocking, tempting, goading, accepting.~_

"Is it really so selfish if my goals do not necessarily concern my own gain?" I posed the question, not expecting an answer, then shrugged. "Regardless, time is short, and resources are limited. If what I have chosen to pursue is considered selfish, then so be it. I won't exhaust myself on things that hold no value to me. If I did that, there would be none of me left, and nothing to offer the things that do matter."

_~"There are no wrong or right choices, only those that benefit you." An angry snarl darkened his gaze to nearly black, confused, betrayed, livid red pools.~_

Kurama considered my position, stopping beside me as we reached the station. My train home would be leaving shortly, our conversation effectively ended. Whether he accepted my ideology or not, he now knew where we stood.

"You're certain you won't need assistance?" He asked once more just before I stepped onto the platform. I nodded.

"I will call you if things change. Thank you for having me this evening." I bowed politely. Our interaction ended there, though it seemed there was something he wanted to say. I was in no mood to listen to whatever heartfelt drivel he could possibly concoct. That assertion had brought unpleasant memories to mind, and I felt it may take all week to chase them out again.

I knew what I was. No matter how much I claimed to value those virtuous people in my life, I knew I would never be one of them. I could not, when I knew their morality could kill them if they weren't careful. Kurama had somehow managed to find that balance between goodness and intelligence that Yusuke and Kazuma likely never would. Someone had to be their brain.

Poor, beautiful fools.

* * *

The next day was completely normal.

I woke after a full night's rest, something that was growing less and less common the longer I was in the employ of Spirit World. I dressed in my uniform, ensuring the garish cat necklace was completely out of sight, and fixing the absolute disaster that was my hair.

Mami enjoyed her tuna breakfast, while I demolished a rather large mug of coffee. It was a staple of our home, given the area our father grew up in. Shizuru was quite fond of it herself, and in a rare instance of civility, we shared our morning in silence, occasionally trading glances, but never words.

She often did this, though she did not need to wake as early as Kazuma and I. She was self-employed, and had no real schedule to keep. Yet she woke with us, without fail, for several weeks now, making coffee for me, and sitting quietly. This was a strange new tactic she was employing to win my favor, I was sure of it. But why? Was the silence perhaps a luer, hoping to force me into asking a question that would inevitably lead to conversation?

I could put a stop to it, but that meant the coffee would also stop.

After the coffee and whatever I decided on for breakfast, it was the short walk to school, accompanied by Kazuma's boys. Their chatter was less irritating than usual, and I discovered that tuning them out was much easier than I once found it. Was patience a human trait that I was rediscovering? Or perhaps it was the way my mood lifted when one of them said something that made my brother laugh.

School was normal as well, with perfectly plain interactions, my two school 'friends' not letting any detail of the previous night's dinner be spared. Their investment in my relationship had been a surprisingly beneficial turn of events. I fed their curiosity, keeping them satisfied with interactions that would have virtually zero repercussions, as Kurama would be all too willing to play along, given his teasing.

Then the walk home, again with the company of the four boys, and thankfully without interruption. They left us when we reached home, and it was made immediately clear by the flash of bright blue in my window that the day's normalcy was drawing to a close. I stopped on the sidewalk, catching Kazuma's arm as he went swaggering past me.

"Zu, would you mind doing me a favor?" I asked, and he blinked twice before the question really registered.

"Uh, sure, what's up?"

I pointed towards the direction of the train station.

"Botan has brought me a new case from Spirit World. I'm going to be gone for most of the night, so could you please feed Mami, and let her into my room before you go to bed?"

His face morphed into one of suspicion. He asked: "What kind of case?" Then, his eyes widened in distress. "Wait, is it- I mean, are you gonna fight a demon again?"

I blinked.

"Most likely." He hovered over me in a panic.

"By yourself!?"

I shook my head, jerking my thumb up at my bedroom.

"Botan will be accompanying me. I'll be fine, really, but if you could-"

His entire expression bore a striking resemblance to a ray of sunshine.

"Hey, isn't that the pretty girl?"

…

And it was through this chain of events, regrettable as they were, that I found myself standing just outside the gates of a dairy farm, an hour or so before dusk, with Botan and Kazuma on either side of me.

Though Botan had been as adverse to the idea as I was initially, she had quickly warmed up the longer my brother talked. Her attempts to dissuade him were useless, as there was no point in trying to convince him demons weren't real. Not after what he had seen at the tournament. It was, in his own words, his duty as a man and a big brother to be there for us girls.

Whatever hope I had for this mission to go smoothly was quickly dashed, alongside any ideas I may have entertained of keeping Kazuma as far away from this nonsense as possible. He refused to accept my rejection, which was, in retrospect, sweet in its own right. I could appreciate his willingness to help, but his complete disregard for his own safety was something we would need to discuss. At the very least, Botan had promised to get him through a portal if worst came to worst.

"Alright, let's go over it one more time, shall we?" the traitorous bluenette chirped jovially, Kazuma's presence and my subsequent discomfort making it nearly impossible for her to retain the foul mood I had worked so hard to put her in yesterday.

"There were eight farmers, right?" Kazuma asked, both of them speaking over my head at one another. I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath. I immediately regretted this as the scent of the farm filled my olfactory receptors. My nose wrinkled in disgust, turning away from the fenced in field as though that might make the smell less pungent.

"They were reported missing the day before yesterday," Botan confirmed, donning her human body in the normal street clothes she had worn before. "Now, the human authorities have been kept at bay for the time being with some fake phone calls from one of our operators, but that will only last so long. We need to find the farmers, and whatever demon presence may be here."

My ears perked, and I turned to give her a side-eyed frown.

"_May?_ You said there was definitely demon activity here," I reminded her, and she gave a loud, nervous giggle.

"Did I? Well, the readings are unreliable in these situations, plus we can't really be sure what our operative actually saw. His communicator cut out rather suddenly, and our animal spies have yet been unable to relay reliable visuals."

I stared at her for a moment, deciding which question was the most important to ask.

"His communicator?"

The idiot looked back for a moment, face blank in confusion. Then, a wide grin split her face.

"Right, yes! Sorry, I was supposed to give this to you earlier, but I got so caught up in our fight that I completely forgot." She reached into the pocket of her sweat shirt, digging around for a moment. I could feel Kazuma leaning over me.

"What does she mean, you guys had a fight?" he asked uneasily, and I waved his concerns away in a dismissive gesture.

"It's not important, just a disagreement about the timing of the mission was all." He blinked, nose wrinkling in thought for a moment.

"Uh, I don't think they can really plan out times for things like this. Seems like stuff just sorta happens."

I rolled my eyes, but Botan had finally found what she was looking for, holding out what appeared to be a plastic compact mirror, a small purple clam shell covering her palm. Yet any illusion that this was some cheap dollar-store throw-away product was ruined by the faint glow of white surrounding the item, the trademark of every tool we had received from Spirit World thus far.

"This is a Spirit World Communication Compact," she explained with a smile. "You and I will each have one, so if we get separated, or if I'm in Spirit World and you need to get ahold of me, this is the way to do it!"

I frowned down at the device, pressing the release to open it and finding a rather strange sight inside. The top half was the usual mirror, though with a black tint to the glass, but the lower part resembled a very limited calculator. Three buttons lay in a row beside a small speaker, which all sat above a screen that remained blank, until Botan opened her own mirror and, speaking clearly, said my name.

Immediately, my mirror lit up with an image of her face, which grinned at e from across the way. The screen below showed her name.

"See? It's very simple, and quite handy! You need only say the name of the person you need to contact. If you need a direct call to Spirit World, that's the first button here. And since there's two of you, we had a third mirror made for Yusuke. If we all need to talk together, then someone would need to hit the second button. Got it?"

Kazuma's hands landed heavily on my shoulders, his head invading my personal space to more clearly see the mirror's image.

"Wow, that's awesome!" He grinned, a small blush coating his cheeks. "You're just as pretty there as you are out here!"

I shut the device with a loud click, holding it up to a blushing Botan to emphasize my irritation.

"How long have these been available?" I asked, and her lips twisted down in a confused pout.

"Since we recruited you, but remember, I explained it already. We couldn't let you have all the Detective Tools until you were ready to handle them all at once. For someone without a lot of Spirit Energy, that's quite a power drain."

I shook my head, exasperated.

"And you didn't think this might be the best thing to give us first?" Her puzzled expression was not surprising, but that didn't make it any less vexing. "Communication is the key to successful teamwork. Proper coordination is invaluable-"

I cut myself off with a click of my teeth. There was no sense talking to someone with the mental capacity of a stone wall. At the very least, she knew enough to look offended. She recoiled as though stung, her pout turning into a glower, like a child told they couldn't leave the dinner table without eating all their vegetables.

"The tools we gave you were very useful! I picked them out myself. I thought you'd appreciate the versatility of the Curse Pen." Of course, she had been the one to make the decision. Not, of course, that I thought Koenma would choose any better. While the tools we were given certainly proved convenient at the time, means of communication should have been prioritized.

"Let's get this over with," I muttered, ending the conversation. "Kazuma, you should-"

He wasn't there. A brief moment of trepidation was settled as I caught sight of the bright blue figure already investigating the farm house. He peered inside, leaning so far forward a good shove might send him crashing face first onto the concrete. I joined him, Botan following closely, picking her way over the uneven ground. Running away might prove difficult.

I reached out, touching my brother's arm lightly to gain his attention.

"You sense something," I inferred, noting his furrowed brow and the unusual focus in his bearing. Intention was in his every motion, eyes alert and movements more fluid. He was hyper aware of his surroundings, head turning this way and that as his senses picked up on things normal humans wouldn't even consider. I resisted the urge to take lead, waiting for him to find the correct course of action. Inside the long barn, invisible animals stomped and snorted behind closed doors.

Botan entered, covering her nose and mouth quickly as the putrid air met her senses.

"Goodness, it's awful! How can anyone work here?" she exclaimed, and I frowned. The smell of waste was even worse within the confines of the walls, and for a moment I wondered if anyone had bothered to let the animals out of their pens. They certainly hadn't been cleaned out.

This was unacceptable.

"Something bad happened in here," Kazuma voiced grimly, his dark eyes travelling slowly across the scene. "There's a weird feeling, like someone was really scared. Like… like someone died here."

I could feel the tightness in my face, my eyes squinting in the darkness. I could see it, the outlines of figures barely recognizable as human. Faint white spots in the air, on the ground, and against the walls were all colored with desperation, terror, agony. If I shone a light, I was certain we would see pools of blood.

In the center of it all, a splash of red, the same color that lay underneath Kurama's energy, the shade of crimson that spoke of something distinctly non-human.

"That's the demon, isn't it," Kazuma asked me, in a tone that indicated it was not a question. I nodded, and he frowned. His eyelids slid shut. I pulled energy into my eyes to watch him, seeing his power begin to focus and move upwards to his brain. It did not radiate from his body in pulses like mine, instead circling in its own fashion outwards in barely perceptible waves. I waited for him to finish his sweep, standing back to give him space to flex his power.

It took only a minute or so, but his eyes snapped open and he turned to look at me with an expression of dismay.

"There's nothing here anymore," he concluded, and I nodded.

"Now, we do things the old fashioned way."

_We search for clues._

* * *

**So, this mission originally was set in the city, in a factory, with lots of dead bodies. I only changed two of those things, so here's your warning for next chapter. Sorry, but Hotaru is pretty descriptive as a narrator, and gore doesn't bother her, so she does not pull punches. **

**A lot changed for this chapter from the original concept. I am actually happier with this one and where it goes and what it leads to, even though the original was pretty fun to write out. I had this whole scene where she analyzed a corpse and broke off a finger, and I utilized my forensics text book quite a bit for it. She basically became Sherlock for like, a page and a half, but specifically for the dead body. It was funny. To me.**

**There was a decent bit of acting in that chapter too, if I recall. She got to be more manipulative, though I had to cut the majority of that out since there are no other humans for her to interact with now. Speaking of human interactions... Shiori's not exactly being subtle, is she.**

**Meow for now!**


	25. Chapter 24

**Oh boy, this one was tough. It is Saturday night, pretty late I know. I've honestly been struggling to find time to edit this, and I decided halfway through editing that I wanted to take the chapter in a completely new direction. That tends to happen... a lot. **

**So, I happen to work in one of the few places that hasn't been shut down in my state (due to coronavirus), and it is a shipping station. People need their mail and boxes and junk, so we get to work, and we get longer hours. Pair that with the increasing responsibilities of adult life and the fact that I can't settle on a direction for the chapter I want to write... Well, you get the picture. Anyways, this one is up, and the next is on the way! **

**On with the "sho."**

* * *

_I'm alright,_  
_ Living in the shadows in the night, _  
_ Always searching, looking for the light,_  
_ Anything to understand this life._  
_ Need someone who could hold me down._  
_ Feel buried in the ground._  
_ If I could just be found... _  
_ I don't know why I'm down._  
_ And I've been feeling spiteful._  
_ Everything has got me in denial._  
_ Put me on trial._  
_ Waves of emotion like a tidal._

_\- Primal - NEFFEX_

**In My Element, There are Still Surprises**

Botan provided flashlights, the range of which was quite superior to anything the human world had to offer. With these, I would see the stains of browning red on the concrete, and the obvious signs of struggle. Several containers and machines had been knocked over, their functions and purposes unknown to me. Dairy farms were not among those things which I studied.

Kazuma visibly cringed when the light fell on the blood, taking a step back in his disgusted horror.

"Oh man, something _really_ bad happened here! Ru-Ru, we shouldn't be here," he turned to me with pleading eyes, and I gave him a cold stare.

"You should have thought of that before you decided to tag along. Did you imagine this was going to be child's play?" I asked him, and his grimace changed to a heated scowl.

"I thought we'd be fighting evil monsters, not looking for bodies," He argued as Botan went to investigate the large metal door leading into the animal's containment area. She glanced back at me, our earlier spat put on the back burner for now.

"The doors aren't even locked," she told me, and I walked around my brother, gesturing for him to follow. Together, the three of us pulled open the heavy sliding doors, releasing from inside a stench that was more than just waste. I raised my collar over my nose and mouth like the other two, squinting as though the smell would rot my eyes out from the inside if I allowed too much contact. As one, we entered onto the scene.

The sound was deafening. Moans and cries echoed in the enclosed space, a cacophony of grief and terror that gripped my steady heart with the sharp sting of sympathy. Intermingled with the hopeless aria of despair was a miniscule melody of lamentation, a singular voice that steadily rose above the rest in a scream of warning.

Carnage was a word that found new meaning.

As I looked past the rows of terrified bovines that faced the center of the room, I could see the source of that abominable smell. Three piles of viscera, far too large to be human, rested in various positions down the line. Their shapes inverted with enormous rib cages splayed open like crimson anemones to the open air. Dark, viscous blood stained the cement floor and the hay that rested on top a deep red, coagulating in black beads where it had dripped to drying.

The only part of the cows that remained recognizable were the heads, long tongues lolling and eyes blown wide in sightless agony where they rested just above the blossoming corpse. The skin of the necks was opened, cords of muscle snapped and ravaged to expose a shock of white bone.

At first I thought the legs were missing, but they were curled around at a horrific angle under the rest of the bodies. Organs lay scattered, ripped forcibly from their homes and discarded like candy around a fallen piñata. Muscle and sinew was ripped to ribbons. Flesh hung off red meat like an ill-fitting leather jacket, the black and red pattern now a gruesome parody of skin and hair.

There was movement in my periphery. Kazuma backed away, swaying before doubling over and losing the contents of his stomach violently on the ground by the door. Botan, to her credit, did no such thing. She stood stock still, staring at the butchery with her hands covering nearly the entirety of her face.

They would be useless now.

I took a step forward, my hand still protecting my orifices from the smell. My throat closed for a moment as I stared into the empty gaze of the nearest carcass, and I could not force my legs to move any closer. It captured me in a state like a dream. I half expected the blood to come rushing to me in a tidal wave, drowning my inert body as was now normal in my own dreams.

Around me crashed the swelling, turning tide of emotion projected from the animals still locked in place. Their calls tore my heart asunder with the intensity of their grief. They had all borne witness to the slaughter. They all knew it was what would eventually happen to them. They were simply waiting, standing in their own waste, living their last moments without a shred of dignity. That stabbing anguish which echoed in their voiced was what gave me the fortitude to keep going.

One step closer, and another, I waded through blood-soaked hay. I could see the white of the ribs now, tendons or bone I couldn't be sure, and I hesitated only a moment before moving on. The next body was no less mutilated than the first. The third, however, was somehow worse.

It was fresh.

The blood still wet and seeping from severed arteries flowed in a steady stream over the floor, spreading quickly from cracked concrete to dull yellow straw. The parts strewn about the floor still shone with slick, nerves still causing certain areas of the blood flower to twitch and jerk, clinging to life, not knowing the effort was futile.

Why did I feel so cold?

I turned away then, facing the other two. They had not yet dared to move further in, and I could not find it in myself to scorn them. Least of all Kazuma, though his manic expression as he gazed wide-eyed at me was certainly unnerving.

"Forget this! We gotta get out of here, it's too dangerous," he said a little too loudly, his voice shaking from the trembling of his body. His fear, however, was nothing in comparison to that of the animals who, upon hearing his loud voice, proceeded to scream in rising chorus. "Ru-Ru, come on! There's gotta be someone else who deals with messed up stuff like this!"

I blinked, staring at him for a moment, then looked down at one of the lurid corpses.

My feet took me forward, back to my brother and the Spirit, who seemed to have recovered somewhat from the shock. Kazuma looked relieved, reaching out to grab me with a large, meaty hand, but I stopped just out of his reach. I tilted my head up, watching his eyes cloud over with confusion, even amidst the horror.

"_I_ am the one who deals with things like this," I told him, keeping my gaze focused on his. "I have a job to do here. You do not. You can leave, or you can accept that this is my life now, and help me. Either way, I'm not leaving this case until it's dealt with."

A pained expression crossed his face, his shoulders falling and his hands reaching, pleading.

"Why does it have to be you?" He questioned desperately, then rounded on Botan with a surprising anger. "Why'd you people have to go and drag my sister into this sicko stuff, huh!? It's not right!"

The woman took a step back, hands extended defensively, though Kazuma would never attack her bodily as Yusuke might.

Yusuke… I was glad he wasn't here to see this.

"I'm sorry Kuwabara," Botan stuttered out, and she seemed to mean what she said. "Someone has to protect the human world, and your sister is more than qualified. She can handle things like this."

He bared his teeth in a snarl.

"Oh, like how she can handle that _thing_ inside her?"

My breath caught in my throat.

_~"Abilities like this are not necessarily unheard of," the aged woman told me as we sat in the dimly lit bedroom. Calm brown eyes regarded me with a calculating intensity. "However, they're quite the rarity in humans outside specific bloodlines. Even then, those families are related to demons some way or another."_

_"What can you tell me about these families?" I leaned forward in anticipation, but Genkai only frowned._

_"Nothing that would be useful to you. They all died out."_

_That was disappointing, but perhaps Spirit World had records of them. I could ask… or I could wait. At the moment, waiting seemed to be the most appropriate course of action. Watching, listening, looking for their slip-ups and mistakes to take advantage of, not tip my hand too early. There was no telling what they would do if I started digging around so soon after this latest episode._

_"Genkai," I began after a moment of silent consideration. "Is it possible for a human to reincarnate on their own? Without the authorization of Spirit World?"_

_She gave a nod in the negative._

_"Humans are of a particular nature. Our souls have a set path they are programmed to follow, though exceptions do occur, hence how ghosts remain trapped in place by their emotions. We don't retain the same cognitive abilities as spirits that he had as humans."_

_Her answer, remarkably technical for someone of both her age and life choices, was less than comforting. If what she said was true…_

_"I don't need you to tell me where your mind is, I can see you thinking," the old woman asserted, and my eyes flashed briefly back up to her. She gave me a squinty look. "That thing that took over your body today was no demon, and it didn't come from outside."_

_I felt my heart grow still for a moment._

_"One moment, it was you in your body. The next…" she paused, then straightened her back as though to ready herself for a verbal attack. "That being came from inside."_

_I continued to stare for a moment, waiting for her to continue. She did not._

_"I know," I finally said, and her eyes flew open wide. "A medical examiner in Spirit World has already informed me that there is… something extraneous within my spirit." Obstruction of the soul was perhaps too much information to give. "I have known for some time now that this anomaly is a being of sorts, though I have not understood the nature of her existence."_

_"Spirit World knows about this?" she seethed, her expression just short of livid. I nodded._

_"I believe they do, however I did not learn about her sentient status from them. I made the discovery during a previous case. Initially, I became their detective under the promise that the anomaly could be removed. I needed only to strengthen my spirit energy."_

_A sort of furious confusion overtook the shadows that danced over her face, and she leaned forward further away from the candle by the wall._

_"And rather than take my training to help control this monster, you gave it up to that dimwit because you thought he deserved it." The accusatory tone rang clear, and I flinched only slightly._

_"I decided that I could handle the information gathering on my own. And perhaps, I could communicate with this woman."_

_She stood very suddenly, and I jerked back into a crouch._

_"Whatever this is, it cannot be reasoned with," she hissed in a low tone. "You're young, it's only natural you would be so optimistic. You didn't see what I saw in your eyes when She took over."_

_I tilted my head curiously, allowing the old woman to speak her mind. The intensity of her stare kept me pinned to the floor, her towering authority sending me into a state of submission. She was power, ancient and unbridled. She was wisdom, logic and reasoning that would stand the test of time no matter how many years passed._

_I stood no chance against her, in any capacity_

_"This thing, whoever it may be, cannot be allowed control. It will consume and destroy, and do it all without a shred of remorse."_

_…_

_"So you were possessed?" Kazuma asked as we made our way home, taking the endless flight of stairs away from the temple, away from Genkai and her imposing authority, away from the comfort of the dark forest._

_Away from Yusuke._

_"In a sense," I replied, thinking carefully about how to word this in a way he would understand. "Imagine that there is something latched onto my soul. It is its own personality, has its own will, but it has no control over my body. Except, obviously, under certain conditions."_

_He nodded, frowning as he thought._

_"Okay, so what do we do?" I sighed at his question, giving a noncommittal shrug._

_"Nothing, as of yet." He looked outraged._

_"What!? What do you mean, there's gotta be something we can do to get rid of it!" He stopped walking, arms spread in exaggerated aggravation. They flailed wildly as he spoke, necessitating a quick dodge on my part._

_"What are we gonna do, just let whatever it is stay there like a- a leech or something?"_

_"I am currently taking steps to counteract the presence," I reassured him, though he did not appear satisfied. "I'm trying to fix this."_

_His look softened, but only enough to let me know his ire was not directed at me._

_"And what about those people Botan works for? What are they doing about it?"_

_I blinked._

_"They gave me work. There's nothing else they can do."~_

"She told me all about it," Kazuma seethed (incorrectly), still looking at Botan with a furious glare. "She told me your boss isn't doing anything to fix it!" Of course, he would take it that way. His selective memory was irritating at times, and convenient all at once.

Botan took a hesitant step towards my brother, her eyes shining.

"Kuwabara, that's not true! We _are_ helping her, it's just going to take time-"

"Making her see stuff like this isn't helping," he retorted, pointing at the macabre scene behind me. "It messed her up before, and it's only gonna get worse!"

"Enough."

Both of them jolted, turning to look at me with mixed curiosity and indignance. Botan, on her part, seemed a little grateful if the sigh of relief was any indication. Kazuma, however, looked close to exploding.

"Kazuma, your anger on my behalf isn't unwarranted. It is, however, extremely unhelpful." Hurt flashed across his face, and I continued even when he opened his mouth to offer some counter. "This is not the time for you to question my decisions or those of Spirit World. I have told you once, either leave or help me. Don't argue, don't ask questions. Make a choice and act, or you're useless to me."

Emotion flickered briefly over his features, twisting and contorting in predictable ways. Disbelief, anger, a righteous indignation that was loud and bold as it lit up his eyes. I watched, curious to see if my hypothesis would be proven correct. His feelings warred with each other, attention divided between myself, Botan, and the carnage around us.

Even the cows had gone silent.

Finally, his resolve hardened, and it was with a sinking feeling I realized that my theory had just been validated. Truly, the only way I could get through to him was by putting distance between us. Dealing tough love, as Shizuru often put it.

"Fine," he ground out. "I don't like it, and I still think we shouldn't be here, but… I'll stay."

"It doesn't matter if you stay, it matters if you're useful."

He recoiled as though stung. I ignored the twinge of regret and turned to Botan, my mind focusing on the mission at hand.

"From what I can tell, various organs were harvested. Notably the heart, liver and pieces of the spine." She grimaced, her face blanching even further. For all I knew, she was wearing geisha powder. For a shinigami, she was quite incompetent when death was concerned. I gave a subtle shake of my head, putting my annoyance aside for now.

"Sweep the immediate area. I want to know the moment anything approaches." As I spoke, I took the rune book and pen from my pocket, tossing them both to her. She fumbled as the caught them, clutching the tools awkwardly against her chest. "Use the rune combinations on the second page of my notes and mark each of the walls. Copy them exactly."

She gave a hurried nod, flipping to the page I indicated.

"What will that do?" she asked, and I turned away to approach one of the tethered animals.

"The extraneous markings combine individual runes into a complex spell. This particular spell is an alarm system. If anything with a demonic signature should so much as touch the energy barrier, we will know."

"That's very clever," she exclaimed, and I raised a brow at her over my shoulder.

"That's how the runes work. Did you even read the book before you gave it to me?"

She gave a small, nervous titter. I rolled my eyes. I had stopped before one of the large herbivores, and I could now see up close how blood-shot the eyes were, how tired the thing looked. Any hay that had been here before had already been eaten, a clear half-circle of concrete indicating where the cow's reach ended.

"What are you gonna do?" Kazuma approached from behind. I reached up slowly, letting the heifer track my movements. She gave no indication of panic, instead lifting her nose up to meet my palm gently. A quiet snort escaped her, a hoof clopping appreciatively.

"I am going to interview the witnesses," I replied softly, stroking from the tip of her nose to the crown of her head in a slow, soothing rhythm. "If you want to help, you can keep your focus outside, maybe try to figure out where our target is."

I didn't wait for him to respond, layering energy thickly onto my voice box and putting my focus on the cow.

"Hello, Friend. We're here to help you. Do you understand?" The animal stared for a moment, turning its head (its eyes are of course not positioned at the front of the face, as it is a beast traditionally filling the role of prey) to give me a side-view of its face.

_Understand?_ She asked with a tilt of her head. Already, I could tell this particular language was going to be a problem. The gist of her response was likely to express awe that she could in fact understand me, but it was not communicated through noise. Mami's voice was delivered in much the same way, though her body and eyes were more familiar to me, thus reading her responses was a simple matter.

Even the wolves and their vocal expressions had been easy, once I'd traded a few words.

"I am Speaker, to all," I attempted. She did not respond except to blink. "I know how to speak."

The rather stupid animal canted its head a different way.

_Know. Understand. Friend, like dog friend. Hungry._ She punctuated that last word in the garbled mess with a low keen, and that was at least a recognizable request.

"You're hungry, I know. I will help you get food," I reassured her slowly. "But later. Right now, tell me how the others died."

It was like flipping a switch in their brains. All at once, they all began to cry, and a startled yelp followed by a short curse told me Botan might have just dropped the pen. The cows all shouted at me, their words indistinguishable, save for a few.

_Dark! Walking Dark! Smell! Kill! Dead! Dead! Dead!_

Though there was risk of being discovered, I pulled on my power, ki spreading in steady waves outward, ensnaring the cattle. The noise began to lessen as their simple minds accepted the calming effect of the energy. They were silent again in seconds, and I immediately reabsorbed my energy.

"Where is the Walking Dark?" I asked carefully, quietly so as not to start another panic. The cow, who had laid her ears back in fear, twitched them.

_Away._ I grit my teeth for a moment.

"Far away, or close by?" Again another flick, this one slightly more dismissive.

_Far._

"What does it look like?"

She paused, stomping one hoof as she searched her memories. I moved my hand to her neck, letting it rest just above her heartbeat. It was abnormally quick, and I wondered if perhaps I should have left my power exposed to keep her calm and (at least a little more) coherent.

_Big, color, claws tear, shiny._ Possibly utilizing a blade, possibly wearing armor. Her description was difficult to decipher, but it was safe to say the demon was physically capable and imposing, if the cows considered it big.

_Two._

I glanced up to find her eyeing me.

"Two?"

She lifted her head and let out a long 'moo.'

_Two, Big Walking Dark, Little Dark. Three friend, Speaker, Big Sun, Small Moon. Bigger, friend. Help, hungry._

"Okay," I patted her neck with a nod, stepping away. "You'll eat soon. Soon," I repeated. "Wait."

She accepted this, albeit hesitantly, and with a sigh of relief, I made my way over (past festering corpses) to where Botan and Kazuma stood, the former applying the final runes to the wall. She glanced up briefly from the notebook as I approached.

"I'm almost finished here, Hotaru. Just a few more lines."

"Good." I observed her handiwork, noting her line art could use a little work. I briefly wondered if she had ever used the pen before.

"So I guess… you talk to animals now, huh?" Kazuma prompted, and in a moment of shock I realized I'd never actually shown him what I was capable of in that regard.

"Yes, though they all speak different languages. It's difficult to understand at times, especially from ones with such simple minds." I glanced back towards the cows, who now waited patiently, then up at Kazuma. His eyes were wide and shining with something that… was not his anger from earlier. Something positive, if the way my chest grew warm was any indication.

"Wow, cool! Guess when your spirit powers started to get stronger, your thing with animals got even weirder too!" I hummed in acknowledgement of this fact, looking back down to where the most recently mutilated carcass sat rotting. It bothered me only a bit that I had gotten used to the smell in such a short time. I could feel when Kazuma followed my gaze, his entire aura shutting down like a cut power line.

"This stuff… it's messed up," he muttered, and I nodded my agreement.

What could I say? I could hardly understand it myself, but every time my eyes found one of the corpses, even if they were only these mentally deficient, virtually useless animals, I could feel things. Such sharp emotions, hot and strong. Anger, the desire to avenge, the need to fix what had been broken. But I could not resurrect the dead. All I could do was kill, just like the monster that terrorized these pitiful creatures. All I could be… was just another version of that fear.

_~"Spirit World has finally learned how to fight monsters with monsters." Crimson eyes, taunting, burning into my soul with complete comprehension. He knew me.~_

It was fortunate, then, that a monster is exactly what was needed.

"Pay attention. We don't have the time to go over this more than once."

…

From my hiding place, I could only see the others by using my power. Their distinct energies stood out to me like twin beacons of pure starlight, both of them shining more brightly than I would have liked. Perhaps upon my return, I would ask Kurama to explain to me the art of concealing energy. As it was, I only needed to make myself a more appealing target, hopefully drowning out the other two with my presence.

I called my power to the surface, extending and expanding beyond the boundaries of the barn. It crawled on many spindly legs towards the other source of power, the dark foreboding aura that had at first been undetected. It was weak, weaker than myself at any rate, but I would be a fool to underestimate an opponent that so far remained unknown.

Clawing and snapping, my ki danced about, as though exploring with jovial complacency this newfound territory, a shiming luer on a taut fishing line. It curled over the earth, around every blade of grass and every tree, a thin miasma, completely innocent and carefree. This was the energy of one new to their power, unaware of the trouble it could bring, completely and blissfully ignorant of the larger world beyond that which they could touch.

In essence, a demon honeypot.

Gouki was not an anomaly, it seemed. Many demons predated humans for their souls, most especially those with some spiritual awareness. I could only imagine what could be gained by devouring the power of another. I imagined, however, it might reduce the two parties to the likeness of microscopic organisms, and that comparison alone was enough to keep me from wondering if there was a way for a human to perform the act.

My studies, paired with occasional conversation with Kurama, had provided just enough information on typical demons for me to feel fairly confident in my plan. However, there was always the chance they would realize the trap, or detect the two energies hidden from sight. It was an acceptable risk in regards to Kazuma's life. I was close enough to aid him, should the need arise. However, it could completely undermine my efforts. If the demon escaped…

_Eat?_

I glanced to my left, where a particularly young cow stood staring at me, stretching out as though reaching for me. I extended a hand to pat her large nose.

"In a moment, I have to kill the… Walking Dark," I whispered, and the cow snorted softly in displeasure. However, she raised no argument, for which I was grateful. I was not confident yet in my ability to have a debate in this language.

My senses had almost completely adjusted to the smell of waste and carnage. I stood among the living corpses now, their stench only more prevalent as I pressed against their hides, smoothing flanks in soft comfort where I could. The power that was not in use as spiritual fishing line floated about, keeping the animals calm and quiet for the moment.

For just a moment.

There was a bite on the lure, a miniscule flash of darkness at the edge of my spirit energy. The flash became a roaring flame, my presence having been finally discovered. The demon was approaching, and quickly. My energy, however, remained oblivious, hardly reacting to the power signature that drew closer and closer. I could hardly tell if there were two or not, which indicated one of two things. Either the nearing target was alone, or one power vastly overshadowed the other, as my own energy was doing for my team.

I could feel the tension outside, Kazuma and Botan both growing more anxious. Their energy fluctuated only slightly. I waited to feel the demon hesitate, perhaps hint that he had felt the inconsistency, but there was nothing. He drew closer at an increased pace, cutting a path through the invisible fog my energy created. I could see him now, a mountainous splash of red lumbering towards my position. A core of sickly green stuck out garishly in the center of his chest, exactly where Kurama's had been.

Closer…

He slowed to a stop, then tread much more softly. His core's light began to dwindle, growing dimmer the closer he came. If not for the obvious signature of his red soul, I may not have been able to pick him apart from the surrounding greenery.

A few more steps, just a little more.

_Big Walking Dark._ The call went out from one cow somewhere by the door, quickly picked up and echoed by the rest. It was nearly drowned out by the Rush, roaring through my ears and surging forth like a giant wave to my fingertips. Eager hands trembled, and I kept them as still as I could.

He was just outside the door, alone. Not for long, however, as I felt yet another tug on the line. The second presence was heading our way. If I could not deal with this under the allotted five minutes, Kazuma and Botan would be forced to face that which the cows deemed Little Dark.

The demon finally took the first step through the door. The voices raised to earth-shattering wails, the animals clamouring about preventing me from laying eyes on the beast. I could still see his energy though, muted green with a red backdrop coming steadily closer, one step, two, until he was several meters away from the door. He stalked with catlike silence despite his size, moving towards me as the cows stomped and screamed.

_"I know you're there, little human."_ The voice, distinctly male, called out over the cacophony of terror. _"I can feel you. I know you sense me as well."_

That… was not Japanese. My head tilted to the side for a moment as my brain ran through the heavily accented words to assign meaning. It was English from what I could tell, or some form of it. The words were butchered, nearly incomprehensible, yet the intent that accompanied each syllable was difficult to misconstrue.

He was almost far enough in. I pushed out a little more power to simulate a fearful response.

_"That is an extraordinary amount of power. Such a pity it is wasted on someone with no sense of self preservation."_ I moved silently, ducking and weaving under and behind cows as quickly as I dared. His energy moved to my previous position where he stopped. From nearly ten meters down the line, I stepped out from the row of cows. My power snapped back with a nearly audible force, and though it couldn't be heard, I knew any spiritually aware being in the area would be affected by the whiplash. To his credit, he only stiffened in his shock.

He finally turned his head to look at me, just as the doors through which he had entered slammed shut. I could hear the whimsical tinkle of bells as the final seal on the outside was activated. The walls were now warded…

For five minutes. I would need three, at most. The Rush was deafening.

The demon regarded me with a narrow-eyed look, then slowly curled his lips to a smirk. His features were a dull maroon, his height and skin tone alone marking him as distinctly non-human. Sandy hair swept away from his face, over the back of his head and behind a large set of pointed ears. His eyes were dark, the color indistinguishable from here, but they were hard-set and cold.

The most notable feature I could identify was the rather glaring shimmer of his armor. It appeared to be European in design, and had he a helmet of any kind, I might expect him to grace the halls of some medieval tourist attraction. The untarnished silvery color brought to mind the title of knight rather than soldier, as did the crest decorating the cuirass, extending from the neck to his midsection: a circular shape formed from the twisting of raised lines to form a complex system of knots. The somewhat familiar pattern wove in and among itself, ending and beginning in no definite place.

The recesses of my mind supplied the term 'eternity knot.' I'd seen this in the booklet, some sort of complex spell...

Every conceivable point of his body, barring his unprotected head, was completely concealed behind the shining metal suit. Even his neck was protected by a high collar that nearly hid his chin from view. Yet, as he turned to face me, there was no sound. No scrape of steel or the whining protest of metal forced to bend to accommodate him. Even his feet remained silent as they created dust clouds where they fell.

_"You have set a trap,"_ he commented in his awkward English, sounding neither angry nor surprised. In fact, I could not say he was impressed either. I nodded in response. He sighed, though the breath carried little weight. _"And you are clearly not what your energy implied."_

_"I am a Spirit Detective,"_ In clear English, I cut him off, finding little use in his ponderings. _"I am here to ascertain the whereabouts of the humans who lived here. Tell me what you have done with them."_

He did not respond, smiling in a rather relaxed way and letting out a low laugh. He did not even look at me, glancing around at the notably quiet animals surrounding us with a calm curiosity, irritating smile firmly in place.

_"Now that's strange, I could have sworn the cattle were crying out just a minute ago."_ He carried that strange accent which I was unfamiliar with, though in my mind, I was certain it in some way was reflective of the armor he wore. Some northern European country then?

_"What is your reason for abducting the humans, and slaughtering these animals?"_ I asked, tacking on the last part as an afterthought. I did wish he would answer my questions. My hands were going to lock up if I continued to hold them stiff for so long. But if I didn't, they would shake with anticipation. Thunder rolled steadily, the decibel level increasing as blood, hot and thick, bolted like lightning through my veins.

_"I have never had the honor of engaging in fisticuffs with a Spirit World Hunter- Huntress, my apologies."_ He grinned, the charming look overshadowed by the exaggerated sorrow. _"And I had hoped for battle most glorious and thrilling. Alas, I do have a bit of a time limit. I certainly hope you live up to the legends of your predecessors."_

Well, since he asked so nicely.

He jumped out of the way of my sickle, silent as death and landing several feet away from where my blade dug into the concrete floor. Light on his feet, stealthy, and seemingly unencumbered by the sheer surface area of his garb, this demon would have proven quite a fascination were I so inclined to study him.

His eyes, though wide, only glittered with greater enthusiasm.

_"You're rather quick, Little Huntress!"_ It sounded like praise. It annoyed me.

He and I shot towards one another the moment his feet touched the ground, my blades colliding with his crossed arms. The metal finally made a sound as my energy touched it, a clang like steel on steel. Odd.

_"Apologies Lady, but your speed won't be enough. This is enchanted armor, see? A creation of the Sidhe, my masters."_ He smiled, a carefree and cocky expression of triumph, his larger form pushing my arms down. I held my stance, though I could feel my feet sliding back on the floor. The back of my heel touched something soft. I pushed back, digging the balls of my feet into the hay. No matter the direction this fight would go, I would not be reduced to a blundering simpleton trodding on the bodies of innocents!

Energy poured through my arms, the blades fluctuating dangerously. The violet light wavered, flickering briefly before bursting anew in a rippling flame over my skin. The edge pulsed in waves, serrated edge ripping down my arm with the grating noise of a whetstone, constant and high.

The metal gauntlet creaked. The demons eyes grew wide. I surged up after his momentary shock, driving the blades further, further, until the armor gave completely- And he was gone, leaving me off-balance and stumbling to find my footing again. His energy moved behind me quickly, and I threw myself into a forward. I rolled to my knees and faced him once again. We stood mere paces apart, his gaze focused and wild as he beheld the jagged scar in his armor. Then, wide eyes flicked up, some unreadable emotion flickering in them.

_"Now.. that is quite the curiosity, Little Huntress. How is it you managed to pierce this armor? This is Magick far beyond your years."_

I lunged for him, taking a swipe with the long scythe at his midsection. He jumped away again, and I continued to chase him. He flew around the room, smiling jovially each time he evaded my blade. Further compliments left his lips, remarks on the technique, the finesse unlike anything he had seen, quite a bit of pandering. Yet, he made no move of his own to attack, despite his glances to the door and window. The anxious movements kept him irritatingly occupied.

He stepped to the side after I stabbed out at his middle, intentionally leaving my entire left side open for a moment. His core immediately burst to life, a large, metal-clad fist coming to land on my ribs. I moved just so to allow him impact, pushing off the ground and using his force to propel myself away. I twisted in the air just before landing.

I raised a hand to my side, just over my short ribs, where there was localized, sharp pain, not dissimilar to being given a shot. There was no energy signature within that was not my own, and his core had quietened once more. His retreat had carried him further away, and he stared me down with glee written on every corner of his ruddy face.

_"What is this?"_ Again, my question was met with silent laughter. The pain at first began to spread, though slowly, a burning sensation overtaking the stabbing. He lifted a fist for me to see, and I peered more closely. As he curled his fingers, tiny needles slid from the knuckle joints, the index and middle of his right hand missing.

_"Something of my masters design, Little Huntress."_ He frowned, his voice holding only the barest hint of spite. _"Rather unsportsmanlike, I should say, but I shall not speak ill of my masters. They do not hold to tradition any longer, and it is their divine right to do as they please. I obey their will… I ask your forgiveness Lady, for the dishonorable means by which I must secure my victory."_

He took a step forward, his energy flaring abruptly before he advanced with another fist, aimed for my stomach. I threw myself into a back handspring, ignoring the sharp tearing of the small needles inside me. Coated in poison perhaps, but it mattered little. That was what I had Botan for.

His core muted once more, and I pulled the power from my arms to my eyes, looking more closely at the green orb. It seemed to be drawing power rather than regenerating it. Instead of a writhing light growing from the center, the power was flowing backwards, towards the chest to be collected. He gathered energy, using it in small bursts and wearing the armor to compensate for his weakness. I would have to time this exactly right.

_"Still slippery, even with death in your veins,"_ he mused. **_"Iontach."_**

The energy stilled, I breathed in. For just that fraction of a second, all was quiet, Save the Rush which pounded like war drums in my ears. The hands that beat the taught, tight white skins whispered, chanted, screamed, encouraged me. Goading me with their singular word, spoken in syncopated time.

_Kill._

It exploded out, his final attack flying towards me in all his gleaming metal. I breathed out, dropping my body and darting between his legs as his fist thrust through the air where my head had been a moment ago. Once directly behind him, I jumped, using the convenient hand hold created by the rather blocky design of the armor to pull myself up to his shoulders. My right hand closed around the metal guard around his neck, and just as his head began to turn, my left came alive in a flash of violet.

His scream tore through the Rush as a boulder cutting a stream. My blade, wickedly curved just below his arm, slid seamlessly into the space between the pauldron and cuirass. I yanked my arm up, his voice rising in pitch and wavering as he tore his throat with the force of the cry. Blood a thick purple splattered over my blue skirt, over my leg and soaking into my sock. I could feel it seeping through to my skin, hot and still swimming with power.

The arm fell to the ground, twitching even as it's former owner lamented its loss with agonized wails. He silenced himself as he fell to his knees, his remaining hand moving to stay the bleeding. Even from behind him, I could see the twitching in his jaw as his teeth clenched, refusing to allow another sound of his defeat to escape. I found myself impressed that he managed to keep his complaints to a strangled groan when, as I descended to the ground, the other arm joined the first, painting the grey and yellow floor with flowering spatters of mauve. Beside the blackened, browning red, I might say we had planted wildflowers in the carnage, petals shining brightly with the fleeting nature of life.

I walked through our garden, my steps deliberate as I faced him once more. The pallor of pain coupled with the manic desperation in the almost white-glazed eyes provided me with some sense of satisfaction. I tilted my head, trying to catch his gaze. If I could see them, see their raw emotion just once…

_"You have bested me, Little Huntress,"_ he growled, though if the tone was from anger or pain, I could not care less. _"I let my guard down. I have no excuse. You were far more worthy than I gave you credit for. Forgive me, Lady."_

When he lifted his shining eyes to mine, I recoiled in disgust.

That… that wasn't right. Where was the desperation? Where was the fear and hopelessness that should plague those so near to death? Where, pray tell, was the anger, the humiliation at being bested by someone a third his size?

In place of those things I sought, those things I _needed_, there was only regret, apology. He looked at me now, on eye level with me now that he rested on his knees, and in his expression I could read only the shame of not having taken me seriously. His pride, his arrogance, shattered, but not by the means I intended. He bowed his head remorsefully, tearing his eyes from mine.

_"I have failed you, as my opponent. Please, take your victory."_ He bared the back of his rust-colored neck, the open invitation something I found utterly revolting.

I raised my chin, staring down the back of his sandy head with fire behind my eyes.

My gaze flicked down to the arms still oozing precious liquid blooms, forming bright pools even in the dim lighting.

Then to the state of his armor, the tiniest of scratches indicating I had been closer than I thought with every strike.

Then back to his neck.

I lifted my hand, only hesitating for a second.

The head fell to the ground, landing in the purple puddle and bouncing just enough to splatter my shoes. A short clink sounded as a chunk of the collar followed, cut cleanly by the blade that severed his neck. For a moment, the giant metal form stood as though frozen in time, leaking from the top three openings. I could see the neat line where his vertebrae began, ringed by flesh not nearly as dark as his blood, a lavender ringed with several layers of black corded muscle. Rivulets of blood sprang from the black artery, a few drops springing up to lap at my cheeks. The rest coated the front of my skirt, my shoes (ruined, along with everything else), socks, blouse…

Then I stepped back, as with a thunderous series of clangs the armor-plated body finally collapsed into a heap of… limblessness. And I stared. I could only watch, waiting for the corpse to reanimate. Waiting for the head to start laughing, or the arms to jump up of their own accord and accost me.

Waiting for anything, because this was not right.

My brow grew tight, mouth pulling into a thin line. My vision darkened, hands trembling even as I clenched them into fists and stuffed them into the folds of my skirt just to keep them from acting on their own.

No fear? No helpless terror? Just… Just that disgusting acceptance! The apology to me, for not taking our fight seriously, it was _rude_. Offensive to the greatest degree. Certainly, I had made the kill, painted myself with plenty of blood, even resolved the case…

I was in no way satisfied. Cheated from that culmination of my anticipation and meticulous planning, overpowering that which had wronged me held no joy. It was an empty victory. He never did experience the despair of his victims. Their pains could never be rectified, their deaths disregarded by their killer, who in his last moments did not have the decency to be afraid. Even his regret held no mention of the three mutilated bodies surrounding his. It was only right that he die here, before the witnesses who could still be healed.

I wish I could say that was enough for me. But it was not.

_Little Dark!_

My breathing hitched.

"Hotaru, it's here!"

"Ru-Ru! What's going on, are you okay!? Answer!"

I barely registered that I had moved to the door, gripping the lock and tearing it open before hauling the door to the side. I ran, my spirit sense cast about to assess the position of my teammates.

Kazuma (_"What the hell is that stuff!?"_) was to my right, further than Botan, who seemed to appear suddenly at my left. Her oar was held aloft as a sort of weapon, the terror in her gaze belied by the hard set of her jaw, the grim snarl just barely concealed behind full lips.

"There, the fence," Botan pointed, darting just behind me but keeping close. I turned my eyes there as Kazuma backed away from the figure just below my height, lithe and graceful as it prowled on four legs towards its prey.

A long-legged hound, white as the full moon with ears stained blood red as the rising sun. It moved with fluid agility, slipping through the fence posts as a specter, as water through a fissure. Each hair on it's coat bristled in the blatant show of aggression, pearlescent teeth bared, a baritone growl reverberating through my bones. It's elegant body was solid muscle, rippling under the pure, untarnished coat with each powerful, deliberate stride.

He snapped his jowls, beautiful teeth clacking sharply. The nearly luminescent white fur seemed not to reflect the light of the moon, but conceal the moon, wearing it overtop its skin. The ears angled my way, the long nose lifting to scent the air. Alarm flashed across his face, auroral eyes widening in dismay. A low whine built in the back of his throat, the sound piercing my chest with a spike of ice. I raised both hands, taking slow steps towards him, pleading.

"Ru-Ru, don't," Kazuma warned, but I ignored his concern.

"Don't be afraid, don't be angry," I began, then, remembering his master, switched to English. Perhaps he would understand the words more familiar to his ears, even if I did not bear the same strange accent. _"I am your friend. Please, be calm."_

The high keening persisted, even as I came closer. Then the hound, ears pressed tightly to his skull in grief, threw back his head to howl. A song of sorrow cut through the night, a wail of misery that took hold of my heart in a vice like grip, squeezing and twisting until it could have been ripped straight from my chest, and I wouldn't have noticed over the pain of his suffering.

_"Dog, please,"_ I called when my frozen insides could take no more. The ice running through me was cold enough to burn. It was with regret I realized perhaps I had been too hasty to kill the demon. He must not have been worth killing, to inspire the loyalty of a creature such as-

_MURDERER!_

The howl morphed into a roar, snow-white teeth once again bared in a vicious display. His head lowered, and I could only watch as his body undulated, curling in for a brief moment before he leaped into a full-on sprint. Growls punctuated the thumps as his paws impacted the ground, claws tearing up turf with each bound. He flew like a ghost toward his prey… Toward me.

For a moment, I was unsure if I could move. I wanted to, yet I did not. Surely I could still convince him… he only needed to come closer, to feel that I was no threat to him. His fangs would not rip out my throat and stain the immaculate canvass of his fur. Even if they did, I would not stop him. I shared his pain, and it kept me rooted to the spot in grim resignation. I opened my arms, to welcome him, or to appeal one last time? I saw him launch into the air, a radiant blur of white…

Cut down by the glow of sunlight. But it was still night…

My mouth fell open as blue crossed my vision. Blue, and yellow. The sword caught the beautiful hound across the face, tearing at the skin, ripping his fur to leave streaks of red. It caught him across the chest, the side, where a crimson trail marked the path of the Spirit Sword's destructive power. With a fierce yell, Kazuma tossed the hound away, the unusually sharp edges of his weapon turning any blood it met into steam.

The bloodied white form fell.

_She_ screamed in rage, the sound curdling my blood as it left the darkest territory of my mind. It tore its way from my own throat, _Her_ distress and mine mingling until I was certain we were one in torturous solidarity.

My body moved on instinct, darting around my brother-

**_Maraigh é! Srac amach a chroí! Déan é a chuimilt óna chéile, é a mharú!_**

I landed jarringly on my knees, my hands moving to cradle the hound's weeping head. Blood far brighter and more precious than any humans flowed in rivers from every wound. His paws worked frantically, desperately, in a futile attempt to stand. Warm tears boiled over, cascading unbidden down my face. The hound… oh, the hound cried too.

_**Mo mhadra, ó mo bhuachaill luachmhar…**_

* * *

The aftermath was something of a blur to me. I vaguely remembered a trip to Spirit World for some reason. Kazuma was excited, forgetting the trauma of the night for a few brief moments as he gaped and pointed at everything his dark eyes alighted on. Each wonder came with questions, comical expressions displaying various forms of confusion and wariness, all with the underlying curiosity, childlike and innocent.

I was given a uniform to replace the one that was stained so irreparably. I could not very well ride the transit in such filth. Or perhaps I could, but that was one sensibility I would not offend. Proper girls did not ride trains whilst covered in demon blood.

Spirit World's crew was left with the task of tidying up after us. It was a job I was content not to do. There was something quite unsettling about the butchery we had witnessed, and on my part, executed. Botan had been unusually quiet as well, though I could hardly blame her. For all she claimed to be, a shinigami, the physical nature of death was something she was far too out of touch with. If I cared, I might suggest she take time off. Her emotions had only become more erratic once we reached the farmhouse.

Where the human family once lived had become as much of a slaughterhouse as the barn, perhaps more so. Five bodies, ranging in ages from as young as myself to older than my father, hung flayed from the walls of the perfectly square living room, the five points connected by a star of thick, blackened blood. The corners were large from the pools of blood practically pouring from each corpse, though that was all that was left to fall as each organ had been removed.

What remained within the split chest, hovering among the viscera and bone, were the souls. Every one of them remained with the body, encased in bubbles of the same shade of green that the demon's core had shone. The energy was just barely visible within the lines of the star, and simply smudging the work had released it, along with the souls.

An antiquated full-length mirror had rested in the center of the room, eerily familiar symbols written in red decorating the glass. Some of the markings I had never seen, yet I knew their origins were the same as those that I knew, or else the. At least ten of them were listed in my book, runes I had never used, never would have thought to combine in such ways. They were linked by thinner lines, all of which had glowed with the same demonic power before we disrupted the flow. The spell lay dormant now, blood turning brown.

Hearts were scattered in pieces that, upon first glance, seemed random. Upon closer inspection, the pattern formed words in a language unknown to me. Perhaps the demon's native tongue.

We had left shortly after, Kazuma unwilling to subject himself (or me) to any more gore than was necessary.

We didn't end up taking the trains home, though I did prefer entering the house with clean clothing, if only to avoid questions. It was nearly midnight when we returned, and it was startling to me that the recent events had occurred in a single evening. The time spent in the open graveyard seemed to last for days.

Kazuma kept his arm around my shoulders until we breached the door, allowing me to pull away with some hesitancy. He stopped just by the kitchen, glancing into the darkened room and giving a humorless chuckle.

"I thought I'd be hungry but…" He trailed off, and I shrugged.

"Go to sleep. You could stand to miss a meal," I teased, but the words were forced and hollow, and his response lacked any real emotion.

"Yeah, I guess so."

I paused, glancing over my shoulder at him. He still stared into the shadows, expression somewhat vacant despite the obvious motion of his thoughts behind his eyes. His tall frame looked frail, somehow, like a passing breeze might knock him over. The impact with the floor would shatter him into pieces. A glass figurine, which had once been so far above the rest of the world, was now witness to the gritty reality it had overlooked. It was stained, tainted, impure. No doubt, it would come to see other truths in due time.

Truths I would rather it not know.

"Hey," his scratchy voice broke me from my meandering thoughts, and I tilted my head to indicate he had my attention. "The way you acted back there… you were really strong. Just, like it didn't bother you at all."

Did he mean the cattle? Was he talking about the humans? Perhaps it didn't matter.

"It did," I answered, purposely vague. "It was… painful." His eyes sought mine, glimmering in some hopeful disbelief, shining a little too much for my comfort. I offered him my hand, sure to keep my gaze soft and not betray the exhaustion that clung to me like an old jacket.

He crossed the space between us with stuttering steps, his larger hand finding mine in the blackness. Moonlight cut across his body like silver spears, marking his broad shoulders and the place where our skin met. I moved my other hand up, gripping his arm gently, tugging his body towards me. He didn't need further prompting, practically falling forward and scooping my small form into a tight, rib-crushing embrace. He hunched over so that his chin rested on the top of my head, his breaths shifting the hairs and sending shivers over my scalp.

His arms trembled. He shook, perhaps with how tightly he held me? I could tell myself that, to make the impact of his damage a little easier to handle.

"I'm so sorry," I tried to speak normally, but what came out was a whisper, pathetically clinging to a whine as though I was some defenseless child. He held on for a moment longer before pulling away, hands weighing heavily on my shoulders.

"You don't have a reason to be sorry, you hear me?" he told me with an audible frown. I let my eyes close.

"Yes, I do." The whimpering child was gone, my tone forceful as I took hold of one of his hands. I had to focus on my hand to be sure my fingers didn't crush his. I did not look at him, keeping my gaze locked on the blue buttons that reflected the dim moonlight. "I shouldn't have allowed you to go. It wasn't your job, it was mine. You had no right to be there."

"What!?" He flinched at his own volume, leaning over further in an attempt to catch my eye. "No way, I had to go! I wasn't gonna just let you go do something dangerous like that alone! And it's a good thing I was there, or that demon dog thing would've- well it was gonna kill you!"

The hound… dazzling white fur stained scarlet, the crimson ears tucked back as it heaved breath after dying breath.

"Besides, after seeing what you and Urameshi do, there's no way I can let you keep doing this by yourself, especially since he's gone. I can't just pretend like I don't know when I do know, ya know?" I blinked, raising a brow in slight concern.

"I suppose I understand," I conceded. "But that doesn't change my opinion. I have seen these things before. You don't need to."

His glare was palpable, the space around me darkening further with the force of his anger. Yet his ire was silent, his voice clipped and cool, commanding.

"You can't make that choice for me. That's for me to decide." His hands squeezed harder, and I was forced to meet his authoritative gaze. "And besides, I've seen it before too. It's freaky, but as long as you don't have to do it alone… I'll go through anything, alright?"

I blinked slowly. He stared down, the desperation in his eyes breaking the impact his glare may have had.

I nodded.

He didn't smile, but his face did soften. A sigh left him, and as though the air was the only thing keeping him standing upright, his entire body slumped with obvious exhaustion. It weighed down his bones like a ball and chain, heavy with memories and emotion that could never burden me so terribly.

I stepped away, and he let me go. He followed me up the stairs, then to the bathroom where we slowly readied for bed. Then, we parted ways to go to our separate doors. Mami waited at my door, yellow eyes looking up expectantly.

_You're unwell. You are… sad._

I tilted my head and nodded in acknowledgement of her observation, and she flicked her tail, rising to her back legs and leaning on me with her paws.

_We should sleep. You will feel better, when morning comes. You are always better after sleep, Sister._

I nodded again, the corner of my mouth twitching just slightly. I frowned, however, noticing the silence in the hallway. A look over my shoulder saw Kazuma, standing still and quiet, facing his bedroom door with his head bowed. I raised my chin slightly, careful to keep my voice low so as not to wake our sister.

"Hey," I called quietly. He turned to give me a strange, awful look. I didn't like it. Wordlessly, I opened my door and jerked my head towards my room. He hesitated only a moment before following, his pace remarkably quick for someone so tired.

The three of us entered at spaced intervals. I didn't bother to change, or pull back the blankets. I simply moved to the mattress and scooted as far back against the wall as I could, waiting for him. He moved on instinct, laying beside me and curling, hunched over so that his forehead rested against my sternum. My hand fell to his mess of curls, my other arm folded under his head where the pillow did not reach. His hands curled into fists which he stuck between us like mice burrowing away in a field.

Mami lay in a vibrating ball at his stomach, her fur tickling my bare knee. I massaged his scalp gently, tangling my fingers in the bleached orange hair that met my touch. My breathing stayed low and steady, consistent with each repetition.

He was out in minutes.

I lay there for a time, sleep evading me despite my body's protests. My mind was in another place, another time, it would not release those images of the slaughter. That would never go away, I think. Was this how I was supposed to feel about people? Why, if I could not feel such things for my own kind, did I react so strongly to the mutilated corpses of things that could barely hold conversation? Such slow, stupid animals, yet their bleeding carcasses grew a glacier inside me, a painful cold not to be dispelled by the hot flash of revenge.

My revenge… so hollow. My enemy barely a challenge, save for the needles in his…

My eyes grew wide, my breath catching in my throat. The _needles!_ I had forgotten them completely in the wake of the dog attack. The pain had seemed to vanish completely, and with no reminder of their presence, I had neglected to even bring up my injury to Botan. Which of course left me with the very startling realization…

They were still inside me.

* * *

**Dun Dun DUUUUUNNN! No, I did not forget the needles. And no, this isn't even close to actually being over. Hotaru's struggles have only just begun.**

**So I realized while editing earlier this week that I basically gave the villain no characterization. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that he was a poorly made character. He had a backstory and everything, he even had a name! It was just that Hotaru, as a character, isn't the type of person to allow anyone else to give any exposition on themselves or their purpose. She's very straight and to the point. She just up and killed him before he could get any of his personality out! So, I changed that, which was something that gave me a lot of trouble. **

**So, this happened, and it's better now. God I hate Hotaru. I just want to have fleshed out characters bitch! Let the villains talk!**

**On a completely different topic, these are technically the very first words Mami speaks in the story! Yay Mami! She features more, don't worry. She's one of my favorite characters. If you'll notice, Hotaru has actually had conversations with her before, but her abilities weren't developed enough to understand the actual words, just feelings. Now, we can hear what the cat is saying, and I'm so psyched!**

**So, meow for now, and everyone stay healthy out there. **


	26. Chapter 25

**Well, I mean, it is Wednesday. Not to say things are going to be back on normal schedule. With all the shit going on in RL right now, I make no promises on swift updates. However, don't think I'm abandoning the story. I still have some pretty big pans for this.**

**Nothing bad is happening, it's just been busy as hell. I got a promotion, which means more hours (yay!) and I still got family stuff, but no one has died (this month) so that's a plus. Anywhore, on with the "sho!"**

* * *

_Do I look lonely?_  
_I see the shadows on my face._  
_People have told me I don't look the same._  
_Maybe I've lost weight._  
_I'm playing hooky with the best of the best._  
_Pull my heart out my chest, so that you can see it too.  
I'm walking the long road, watching the sky fall.  
The lace in your dress tingles my neck.  
How do I live?  
_

_\- Death of A Bachelor - Panic! At The Disco_

**Human Inhuman**

I stared at my own face reflected back at me in the tiny mirror.

Icy orbs stared back impassively, not a hint of the inner conflict I felt. The communication compact sat open in my hand, my thumb hovering over the power button. It would appear fairly normal to anyone who should happen to come across the scene, not that anyone would be entering my room on a Saturday. Kazuma had already left, his eyes brighter with the length of time he had slept. I was envious, as my night had been quite restless.

There was no hint of pain or discomfort, nothing to suggest I had been injured in the first place. Yet when I peeled back the edge of my top (trying all the while not to wake my brother sleeping next to me) there were two very obvious lacerations over my rib cage. The lack of sensation was mildly worrying, but I retained full range of motion, so really, there was likely no point in being anxious over it.

I could always go to Kurama instead…

… I clenched my teeth, breathed deeply, and pressed the little red button.

* * *

"Why didn't you say anything about this before!?"

I frowned in admonishment at the Spirit's volume. Unlike before at Kurama's home, she may easily be overheard here by any passing member of my family.

Botan's hands hovered over my middle, her brow drawn tight in focused consternation, the scolding glance she gave me making my eyes roll in response. She had come quickly, appearing only minutes after I had made the call. I was curious how these communication devices worked, but I was unable to make any inquiries in the wake of her clucking and fussing.

"I had forgotten about them," I replied honestly. Her look of incredulity was comically exaggerated, the swelling of emotion seeming to make her grow several times larger than she was.

"_How_ do you forget two pieces of metal stuck in your side!?" she yelled, and I shrugged, looking away and refusing to acknowledge the rising embarrassment that warmed my cheeks.

"There wasn't any pain," I muttered. "Regardless, it's been well over twelve hours and the supposed poison has yet to have any effect-"

"_POISON!?"_

I flinched.

It took a minute or so to calm the shrieking harpy, and I managed to get through the ordeal without uttering a single threat. Progress was progress, even if it felt more like a step backwards. With her hands glowing a soft blue stirring circles in the air over my middle, she wove her energy through muscles and tendons, the feeling not dissimilar to having insects crawling over my skin. Her brow furrowed when she finished, pulling back with a confused frown.

"Well, they're in there alright. And they're warped too, all bent out of shape and mangled. I'm still shocked by the durability of your musculature. Seems like your obliques were hard enough to force the needles to conform to your body shape. You're sure you don't feel any pain?" I shook my head at her question, and she gave a short noise of surprise.

"Well, I would still recommend getting them removed. You haven't been very active since the fight, so there's a possibility too much movement will cause even more damage. And even if you somehow manage not to tear something, you'll set off metal detectors for the rest of your life!" I rolled my eyes, adjusting my shirt so it lay more appropriately over my torso.

"What are my options for removal? Surgery is on the table I know, but are there less… invasive methods?" She frowned at my question, fingering her chin thoughtfully.

"We could always consult Spirit World Medical, but I don't think I've ever heard of anything like this being done without cutting the object out. Especially not since your body has made them so difficult to remove in the first place. The incisions would have to be extreme!" She shuddered, and I could understand her issue with this particular flavor of butchery.

"That's not exactly appealing," I admitted. "However if you were to utilize your healing immediately after, I wouldn't need to conceal the injury and risk exposure."

She blinked, bemused for a moment before tilting her head with a smile just short of patronizing.

"Oh no, _I_ wouldn't be the one removing the needles. You would need to go to Spirit World for the procedure and have a professional perform the surgery. They would probably put you under while they work, but I could stay with you if you-"

"That won't be necessary," I cut her off with a hard look. "As long as they don't restrict my movement or cause me pain, they can remain where they are."

Her eyes, like her mouth, were wide as she tried to process my decision. When her little mind finally caught up, she sputtered intelligently in protest.

"I- but you-now hang on! You want to leave them in there?" I blinked. "But why? That makes no sense!"

I gave a dismissive sniff, moving to stretch in various positions, testing my range of motion.

"I will not be left defenseless in the hands of your doctors. I have no intention of letting them mutilate me while I am unaware, and I'm certainly not going to let myself be incapacitated in Spirit World," I listed, finding that there was not even a hint that anything was out of place, my flexibility remaining as it was before. Odd. I should feel something, a pinch or a prick in my ribs, something to indicate the foreign bodies.

"What do you have to be afraid of there?" she questioned in oblivious exasperation, and soulless black eyes flashed in my memory for a moment. "It's not like you're in any danger, I mean, it's _Spirit World_!"

"I said no." I gave her a cold glare, to which she responded by tossing her hands into the air out of frustration.

"You're being ridiculous," she proclaimed. "Will you at least go to a hospital?" I raised a condescending brow.

"And what would you have me tell the human staff? How should I explain that not only are there two needles lodged in my side, but apparently I'm durable enough to have mangled them while they were still inside?" I asked, my voice taking on a scathing tone. "Apologies Doctor, I seem to have gotten on the wrong side of a demon."

She shook her head with a frown that was suspiciously close to a pout.

"So you're just going to leave them there?" I nodded.

"Unless they prove to be an issue. Speaking of issues, you've said nothing of the poison," I reminded her, and to my surprise (and great offense) she rolled her eyes.

"Well I was going to tell you before you decided to announce the stupidest thing I've heard in years," she bit out, and I curled my fingers to keep them from twitching and giving away my inner turmoil. "There wasn't any indication of toxins. You showed only the puncture wounds, nothing more."

My hands relaxed on their own, my body leaning back a touch as if I were trying to consider the statement from a different angle. So far, this view proved no more enlightening than the last.

"The demon implied…" I began, then stopped. In truth, he had made no mention of poison, though his regard for the needles as a dishonorable means of victory had brought it to mind. What else then, if not poison? Surely the needles themselves would not be enough to bring a man down.

"Whatever made you think that, you don't need to worry," she assured me. "There's nothing in your blood that shouldn't be there. But you really should get those checked out-"

She blathered on, her attempts to convince me futile. There was no possible way of explaining this to human doctors, not that I would appreciate being cut open by them any more than those of Spirit World. Nor was there a possibility of me allowing myself to be anesthetized in the same room as that black-eyed nurse.

"You're impossible," she accused almost venomously. "I try so very hard with you, but it's like you do everything in your power to be as difficult as possible! Even _Yusuke_ isn't this bad! You're always rejecting me, pushing me away, all out of spite!"

"I believe that is what's commonly known as a hint."

Her face ran an impressive shade of red.

"You think your little rebellious streak is going to keep me from doing my job? Ha! Well, I've got news for you missy." I eyes the finger that was dangerously close to the tip of my nose. "I don't care how long I have to put up with your misbehavior! One of these days, you're going to wake up and realize how much of a little monster you're being, and I'll be right there to say 'I told you so'!"

It took me a moment, and watching her eyes light up in surprise, before I realized I was smiling. The beet-like hue of her cheeks coupled with the atmospheric shade of blue surrounding her face made for an amusing contrast on her normally perfect skin. Her ire, hovering about her like a horde of angry bees without stingers, only amplified the comedic value of her truly pathetic attempt at scolding me.

It was, to be frank, too much fun for me to ever consider admitting she could have a point. When her anger provided this much entertainment, there was little else I could imagine her offering. Such a funny, dim little Spirit.

"I'm certain you will be," I told her, allowing my smile to fade. "Was there anything else?"

She frowned, though the look was far less severe than I expected. Her lips worked with words unspoken, and I could feel curiosity building within me. Her expression shifted to one of unease, nervousness, and no small amount of worry.

"Well to be honest, I was going to come meet with you today anyways- after I knew if you were awake, of course," she added quickly. I blinked slowly, keeping my gaze on her twitching face even as she looked away.

"What happened?" I asked, an inquisitive tilt to my head. She took a deep, stabilizing breath, something that may have filled a lesser person with dread.

"Spirit World cleanup reported back just a few hours ago," she began. "They recovered the five dead humans in the living room and found three more horribly butchered in an upstairs bathroom."

That accounted for all eight. I had hardly been in a mood to count or care the day before.

"What else?" I prompted impatiently, and her frown deepened.

"You see... they searched the whole property and… I'm not really sure how to tell you this, but that demon you fought was nowhere to be found."

I felt my body stiffen suddenly, the stillness seeming to extend its power over the entire room. A pin dropping on carpet would have made enough noise to startle me, simply from the shock of that obviously false information. She hovered over my desk quietly, her eyes anxiously awaiting my reaction, then clouding in confusion when there was none.

"Did you hear me?" she prompted, and I clenched my teeth.

"What did they find?" I asked at long last, my mind running through the scenario I had lived mere hours before.

"There was plenty of blood left where and no tracks or anything indicating he got up on his own," she told me, fingers ticking off each point of interest. "And nobody _took_ the body either. It's like it just vanished. Although the crew did report elevated energy levels that didn't match anything on record."

I thought for a moment, but just a moment.

"He mentioned his armor was enchanted," I recalled. "Perhaps there was a spell that would remove him, should he fall."

"He would have needed a portal for that," she said dismissively. "The one he was attempting to create was incomplete, it would have been useless. Not to mention it was going the wrong direction." I gave her a curious look.

"Are the portals not two-way?"

She shook her head.

"Not the one he was trying to make. From what the analysts said, the way the energy was moving would only have been good for creating a pull, like when you open one door and the change in air pressure makes another across the room close."

I considered this, brow furrowed, said: "Then he was attempting to bring someone through, but from where? Demon World?"

"Most likely, she agreed. A sigh like a growl left me, the unfamiliar noise accompanied by the sting of regret, something I rarely felt in such a way or for such a situation.

"And I killed him. He can tell us nothing," I lamented, my expression stiff. "Whoever was waiting on the other side will know he was thwarted, and will make another attempt at some point."

"You can't be sure of that," she said, optimism coloring her voice a distasteful shade of witless.

"I can," I argued. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, but it's something I am certain of. His masters, these Sidhe he spoke of… Whatever their goal is, they will not simply give up now. They will try again." I could feel the small tingle of excitement swelling in my chest at the thought. "And when they do, I will kill them too."

Botan rolled her eyes at my casual statement, but I cut her off before she could return with some sarcastic or otherwise irritating reply.

"And the dog?" She blinked, bewildered for a moment. "Was the dog still there?"

I flinched even as I asked. This should not have been a question I had. It should not have held such priority, nor weighed as much on my mind as it did. Yet the morbid curiosity was there. Whether it came from my own mind, trying to find any and every possible clue to my condition, of from Hers, desperately grasping for some small hope at the animal's survival, it didn't matter. The question was there, and it would not accept anything less than a direct answer.

Certainly I myself, as _Hotaru_, was unhappy with the animal's demise. It was, as the death of any animal I could have saved, a needless occurrence. This alone did not explain the grief that twisted my heart, and it took very little thought to deduce the feeling did not come from me.

This emotion reigned our joined thoughts, overtaking the muted sorrow I was limited to and transforming it into a powerful surge of _feeling_, pure and sharp as it pierced my mind and ran through my grey matter like thousands of tiny knives. It was a glacial intensity, leaving me almost immobile, unable to move with the strength of the pain. This was more than compassion. This was greater than sympathy for the innocent hound. This was personal.

Somehow, the woman within me was connected to that dog, and his death had impacted Her greatly.

"Yes, it's definitely dead." Whether the woman heard Botan's reply or not, or if it even mattered to her, I couldn't tell. There was no reaction. She was silent, closed off to me completely. Perhaps in Her anguish, she had shut Herself away to grieve alone. Not that I would be able to tell. I felt no different now than I ever had.

And that was what I found most troubling. If She was, as I suspected, lurking in the recesses of my mind to wait for Her opportunities to take control, it was likely She was privy to everything going on around me. My life, my thoughts, my actions, there was always, and likely always had been, at least one witness. One person knew everything, and that was one too many. And if, perhaps, She had been influencing me from the very start, as Koenma suggested…

Nothing I had ever done had truly been of my own volition. Though, the thought that I had any claim to innocence was laughable at best. I knew exactly what I was. Knowing She was there didn't change that. It didn't change what I had done, not any of it, and I would not ask for this excuse. I would not admit this weakness, not even to myself, and certainly not to Her.

…

Botan finally departed, leaving me to my thoughts, and it was with no small amount of satisfaction I watched her go, the normally placid blue of her hair looking almost frazzled, like a balloon had been rubbed on the strands. If nothing else, her irritation was a nearly endless source of entertainment. She had finally found a way to be useful to me once again.

I slouched in the chair at my desk, unwilling to retain good posture when no one was around to witness it. My eyes stayed locked on the small book which lay open on the table. The introduction, one I had painstakingly memorized upon receiving my tools, read a little differently now after my most recent encounter.

_\- This text is a complete record of all sigils, runes and written spells utilized by the Tuatha de Danaan. For various origins of symbols found inside, see Index. For rules regarding the use of symbols as full spells, see Page 11, Written Magick._

_Your Curse Pen is a tool that combines the versatility of Spirit Energy with the direct focus of Magick to produce long-lasting and specific effects on chosen targets. This tool may be used as a weapon, though it's applications lie more in logistics and defense._

_The Curse Pen is the modern adaptation of the Magick Wand or Staff. While more complex, the effects have proven to be longer-lasting as well as more potent. This is due largely in part to the use of Curse Ink, which adheres to a solid surface more readily than Spoken Magick (See Page 14 for reference) as well as bypasses preexisting Magicks placed on said object._

_WARNINGS:_

_**Do not** utilize your Curse Pen in an everyday capacity, EG: typical documentation, signatures, notes._

_**Do not** misplace or otherwise incorrectly stow your Curse Pen. Curse Ink is volatile and can be unstable when used improperly or without intent._

_**Do not** attempt to utilize your Curse Pen with Demon Energy. Violent reactions have occurred under such circumstances. -_

It was, as many other of the Spirit World texts, short, to the point, and lacking in sufficient exposition. The Spirits seemed to still carry much of the knowledge not documented, though in the confines of their own minds. The librarians in the other world had been proof enough, expounding on incomplete passages with details that, at least to me, seemed crucial. Perhaps it was that this information was an innate part of their kind, passed down genetically or telepathically, and they kept only the bare minimum to jog their memories every now and then.

Of course, it could also be that their records department was as abysmal as their toddler princes ability to provide sufficient data for assignments. The extensive table of contents listed far more than what was available. Out of the list, only five of the categories existed: Runic (Celtic), Runic (Norse), Ogham, Futhark, Celtic Sigils.

Further identified, yet not displayed within the confines of the pages, there remained ten or so more categories. Beside each of them, contained in parenthesis, a page number was listed, as well as a page section.

I stared at the list, willing the answer to come to me. The page indicated was little more than a single letter in Ogham, one of those in the section referred to as the Tree Alphabet. I had searched the page for answers before, though not with as much urgency as now. I flipped to page 72, exactly halfway through the book, and stared once again at the simple markings at the top of the page and the small paragraph beside it.

_\- Uath- the name of the white-thorn, though commonly referred to as hawthorn. The perfect representation of the idea of duality, Uath is a balancing force in spellwork meant to bridge the gap between contrasting or otherwise conflicting elements of magick. The point of union of opposites, hawthorn in it's physical element is used in crafting modern skeleton keys which will allow transit between opposing worlds._

_Dair- the name of the oak, often utilized-_

I sighed, leaning away and clenching my teeth in frustration. This was getting me nowhere. Each category indicated I turn my attention to _Uath_. Was this to mean I must achieve balance before moving forward? Could the information somehow be aware of the warring contradictions inside of me? Or was it a clue, some riddle I had yet to even begin to understand.

I shut the book, sliding it across the desk until it was flush against the wall.

"I doubt any libraries in human world would help me," I mused to the empty room. Though it was not so empty, not really, as a yawn sounded from behind me.

_You read too much,_ the soft voice mewed._ You sit and stare, but at what? Words will never move. They are not prey._

I rolled my eyes.

"They move in my mind. I gather information from words, I'm not hunting them."

_But you hunt very well._

A muffled thud indicated the weight of a very small body dropping to the floor, and a moment later that body was winding around my ankles. Downy fur brushed soothingly against my skin, fuzzy and warm and familiar. A tail twitched against my knee as the animal contemplated how best to achieve her goal.

_Up now._

I moved the chair back a bit. Two paws prodded experimentally at my thigh before the lean, striped body threw itself into the air, landing gracefully despite the wobbly surface it chose. She butted the top of her head against my chin, to which I responded by bringing my face closer to hers. One paw came up to my collar as if to hold me in place, rumbling purs shaking me down to my very bones.

_You should hunt. Prey will tell you more than words,_ she advised. I hummed, not quite in agreement but not in thought either.

"There is no prey," I responded in a dull tone. "Anyone who knows anything is beyond my reach, or else off limits. Words are all I have."

Her entire body seemed stuck to mine as though she was magnetic, and I was quite sure I would need a very thorough application of a lint roller, al least several sheets to be sure all the hair was gone.

_What are the words?_ She asked and I shook my head, finally raising both my hands to massage her neck and ears.

"Nothing you would understand. Just trees and opposites." She trilled in confusion. I shrugged. "Words are very strange."

_They do not exist, not really,_ she sniffed dismissively. _Make them real, and they will exist. That word,_ she flicked her tail in the direction of the bookshelf, though which book in particular she was referring to, I could not be sure.

_That word is mice, but mice are not there. The word is wrong. But you make the words real when you hold the shiny-smelling pen._ A smile twitched at the corners of my lips, and I let it.

"How exactly does something smell shiny?" I asked mockingly, and she flicked my nose with her tail in admonishment.

_It does. You have a weak nose. How are you a good hunter with such a bad sense?_

"I hunt with other senses," I told her. She gave a noncommittal trill, moving away and ending the conversation abruptly. Cats, I had found, were quite subject to sudden changes in mood. Where she was chatty one minute, she may grow bored or irritated, or simply feel that there is no more to be said no matter what I may think of the matter. Cats were selfish creatures. Selfish, and incredibly compassionate. Though Eikichi was less vocal, likely due to her age, she exhibited many of the same traits of her more tempestuous mother…

With exception to Mami's unique ability to have physical contact with spirits. Those poor animal apparitions, either demonic or living, that attached themselves to me found my roommate significantly less welcoming. Her jealousy was endearing, and so she earned my forgiveness for her rude slights.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair into a long stretch. Several of my vertebrae clicked dutifully in response, the sound all but lost under the dense flesh aching from being hunched over the book for so long. The room was stiff and silent now, filled with an irritable tension that kept my thoughts stagnant. An open window could clear the air, or an open door. However, when I moved to crack said door, the scent wafting from the first floor drew me out of my room like sucking poison from a wound.

It had been quite a while since our father had enough free time in the day to make lunch for the whole family. It must have been Father. Whatever was cooking smelled not only edible, but potentially decent. I highly doubted I would ever happen upon Kazuma in the kitchen unaccompanied by instant noodles, and the lack of smoke was evidence that Shizuru had kept her hands away from the stovetop.

My suspicions were, of course, correct, and I was not the only one to observe the smells coming from the remarkably clean kitchen. Kazuma exited his room mere seconds after I did, his wide eyes sparkling as his mouth split into a grin.

"Is it someone's birthday or something?" he queried with ill-concealed eagerness. I shrugged, noting as he followed me down the stairs that he had finally changed into his pyjamas, likely hoping to spend the day lounging in the game room.

"I'm sure we would be aware if it was," I replied, both of soon arriving in the doorway. Father was there, as I predicted, a grin set in his sharp features as he turned to give us a winning smile.

"Thought this would get you two out of bed," he remarked with satisfaction. "Got home pretty late last night, huh? Out partying with friends I bet." Kazuma froze, but my head canted to the left in consideration. It was the way his smile curled _inward_ more than up, I think. His eyes crinkled out of obligation, not at all touched by the corner of his mouth as it turned inward suddenly in an expression more artificial than cup ramen. There was a knowing gleam, one that implied he knew neither of us had friends inclined towards partying, but he was not going to broach the subject.

"Exactly," I said with a nod. "You know middle-schoolers. Insatiable in their desire for inappropriate social behavior."

Father laughed, the disturbing curl gone now, and I could feel Kazuma deflate behind me. He perked up again instantly, pushing past me to see what was on the stove.

"What's cooking? Smells awesome," my brother commented, leaning over the pan invasively. Father pushed him back with an elbow to his sternum, his faux anger coloring his voice a soft vermillion rather than a crimson.

"Hey, back off! I don't need you drooling on it!" He turned back as Kazuma sulked, humming slightly as he maneuvered whatever meat was cooking. It smelled like chicken, but slightly off in a subtle, infuriating way. "Just a little something my _Mam_ in the states used to make. I haven't had it in years, just thought of it again yesterday."

I looked to the counter, where a wrapped package of beef cube steaks sat half empty, the clear plastic giving me a perfect view of the near burgundy chunks of meat. My spine stiffened. Diluted blood pooled on the white foam of the container, oozing from the red flesh as though it were still alive. Beside it rested a box of panko, also opened, and a mixture of what appeared to be flour and some liquids making a gravy of sorts. So then, country fried steak, just as _Mam_ made upon her singular visit several years prior. I wouldn't expect Kazuma to remember, as he tended to inhale whatever was in front of him without bothering to experience the flavors.

My throat convulsed.

I remembered enjoying the meal once. It was tender, salty but not overpoweringly so, served with flaky, crumbly pastries, biscuits I believe. The gravy only enhanced the natural flavor of the steak, while the biscuits acted as a palate cleanser, though not as effective as ginger.

_Nausea?_

Despite the fond memory, I found my stomach suddenly deciding it was some sort of acrobat. If the flips and twists in my middle were any indication, it was quite talented. It left me feeling as though I'd just jumped from a roller coaster that was still moving, my guts threatening to eject through my mouth the longer I stared. I may have noticed the gravy and panko, but my eyes had been unable to completely leave the meat.

My lungs stopped taking in air.

Raw, red, dark and still bleeding, it was obviously beef. I couldn't help but remember rib cages splayed open like crimson bathed anemones and viscera clinging to patchy black and white fur. An echo of a memory reached my ears of a long, drawn out wail of agony, the flesh still twitching in spite of the hearts absence, and the stench of filth, festering, and fear.

Painful spasms ripped through my midsection, and I struggled to hide the pain.

I had carried a conversation with those beasts. True, it was limited, and they lacked even the mental acuity of a toddler, but even I was nos so monstrous that I would eat said stupid toddler. The fact of the matter was that, were those chunks of meat still attached to a living, breathing animal, I could speak to it.

And it could speak back.

I tore my gaze away, vaguely aware that the room had gone silent, save for the popping of oil in the frying pan. I looked at my Father, whose expression was somewhere between expectant and concerned.

"Honey?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry, I'm not really interested in eating meat anymore." I flinched at the poor delivery of that assertion. Father's eyes widened in astonishment, and I knew just how tactless my panicked response had been. He opened his mouth, most likely to question my rather abrupt decision, but Kazuma had finally caught sight of the pile of meat.

His face grew ashen, and I felt a mix of pity, and relief that I was not alone in my discomfort.

The conflict was clear, however, as he glanced back at the source of the admittedly delicious smell. His dark eyes flickered back to me as if to convey his dilemma. I shrugged, attempting a reassuring smile.

"What's going on here, you two love this," Father voiced, though he was in no way unhappy. His tone was merely curious, bemused and bewildered at his two youngest refusing lovingly prepared food. Perhaps his eyes betrayed a little of his hurt, but h was a smart enough man t understand that it wasn't his cooking which was the problem.

"I uh…" Kazuma articulated intelligently, and I cut in quickly.

"I've been considering going vegetarian for a while now," I lied, drawing father's attention to me. "Zu doesn't want to make me uncomfortable by enjoying meat, but it doesn't matter to me if you all still do."

They couldn't speak to the cows. It wasn't as if _they_ were eating people.

"Uh-huh," father raised a brow, unconvinced. Kazuma nodded meekly, voicing his quiet agreements while still side-eyeing the raw flesh with barely hidden trepidation. I maintained eye contact with our father, unblinking and unwavering. Whether he believed me or not was irrelevant, and he knew this. It was acceptance I sought, recognition that this was to be the way of things from that moment on.

His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing gaze penetrating deep, possibly deep enough to see the two needles in my rib cage. I stared back, unashamed that he had caught me in my lie and unwilling to explain further. He was my father, yes. But nothing more.

Finally, he shrugged.

"Your loss, kiddo. You're missing out and you know it."

The situation was handled, Father's natural tact winning out over the burning curiosity he hid behind the smile of cooperation. In an instant, any tension between us was resolved, and I watched with some satisfaction as Kazuma gradually began to open up to the idea of eating the carefully prepared steak. Before long, he was enjoying the meal as he deserved, the thought of rotting, butchered corpses far behind him.

I felt I may never be able to move past them, but that was not terrible. Food was food, no matter how it tasted. If it was nutritious, I would eat it. Losing a few things from my diet would hardly matter. In any case, protein could be gained from other sources. I thought briefly of letting Kurama know, as I was not very inclined to break this new rule of mine just to please his mother. Perhaps a compromise?

* * *

Light brown eyes like creamy milk chocolate bore into me furiously.

"What the hell is this?"

Genkai, in all her ancient and haggard glory, had been waiting for us at the torii, arms crossed behind her back and a stern look on her equally stern face. The set of her thin lips indicated she was clearly displeased with my arrival, or at least with my decision to include a certain demon in my visit.

"From how far did you sense us coming?" I inquired idly, not expecting the question to receive an answer. True to my assumption, she disregarded my curiosity with a venomous glare.

"You think you can just start bringing your wayward demons here after refusing my advice?" she returned in her own question, clearly a rhetorical one. "My offer was to you, no one else."

I gave a short bow, deeper than one I would give others who spoke to me that way.

"Genkai, allow me to introduce Kurama, my parolee." A brief gesture his way, and Kurama too bowed in greeting.

"Master Genkai, a pleasure to meet you," he told her politely, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I must say, I never thought I would be fortunate enough to meet one of the most famed of human fighters, outside of battle of course," he added, and Genkai's eyes narrowed nearly to slits.

"Yes, I imagined this was the one," she spat, all but ignoring Kurama's comment. She then turned her attentions back to me. "Whatever you've got planned you can forget it. I'm not in the habit of giving handouts to people who haven't earned my attention."

I smiled pleasantly.

"What did I say about giving me that look?" she snarled, and my expression disappeared instantly.

"Apologies, it's habit," I admitted, my head dipping a bit to hide the flush that warmed my cheeks. "In any case, I would not expect your offer to carry to my friend here. I only wanted to ask your permission to enter the Dark Forest."

She seemed slightly taken aback by this request, both of us now ignoring the somewhat affronted demon fox beside me.

"You want to go _back_ in there? What for?" she asked, her tone a mixture of suspicion and concern, as though she was questioning my sanity rather than worrying for my health.

"You claimed the inhabitants of the forest were some of the most ancient species of demon," I reminded her, and she gave a barely perceptible nod, tilting her chin down. "I want to study them. Spirit World's library can only tell me so much about demons and their physiology. To do my job most effectively, I need hands-on experience in a controlled environment. You will be nearby, and Kurama will be my escort, should things go wrong."

She seemed to consider this, raising a brow and angling her head at the demon.

"He's your parolee, not your friend. You really trust him to watch your back in there?"

I felt Kurama shift beside me, a feeling I did not recognize accompanying the action. I glanced to the side to find him looking back at me. Emerald orbs gleamed with curiosity, and yet were resigned in a way to the facts that he was well aware of. Watching that gleam become a light of surprise was amusing.

"I do," I replied, holding his gaze for just a moment longer. I looked back to Genkai. "Kurama would not risk his freedom at this point in time, and we have no bad blood between us." And aside from Yusuke, this demon was really the closest thing to a friend I could have.

He knew my true nature, as much as one could. Like Yusuke, he was willing to overlook and accept it. Unlike my friend, however, he knew me in a way only another killer could. It was more than just acceptance, it was understanding. I may never hold him in such high regard as I do that hopeless idiot Yusuke, but I could appreciate his likeness to us both. He was something of a happy medium on the spectrum of decency, on which Yusuke and I occupied the two vastly separated ends.

The old woman, having no way of knowing all of this, scoffed derisively.

"Never thought I'd see the day a Spirit Detective would cavort with demons so casually," she mused. "It's almost enough to make this old woman cry." The scorn dripping from her voice was thick and viscous, drenching the atmosphere in a pinkish shade of cynicism. The contempt was clearly not aimed at the demon, however, as her eyes fixed me with muted ridicule.

"What do I get if I let you use my land?" she wondered. "You already turned me down once, so unless you think you've got something better-"

"Not at all," I interrupted, though I did note the irritation that twitched her temple at my rudeness. "I refused to take the position of your successor, however I would be remiss not to accept your training in other capacities."

In mentioning the position, I was unable to keep my thoughts away from the nagging at the front of my skull, that urge to keep walking forward, as though my hand was tied by a string, being tugged closer and closer to the other end of the line. Not much further up, I could feel him. Yusuke. He was so close. I could simply ask her... or sneak in at night if she saw fit to deny me. I clenched my hand, hiding it in the folds of the skirt (purple today) and ignoring the tingle, which was becoming a burn the longer I did not heed it.

I could not afford distractions right now. Yusuke was fine. He would be alright for six months. And so would I.

Calmly, in detail, and without backing down, I gave her my compromise.

I would remain home the majority of the week, and I would train alongside Kurama. She did not need to express her doubts verbally, as the shrewd look she cast his way made her reservations known.

With him, I would continue to build my stamina, endurance, and battle capabilities. On the weekends, I would return to discuss and explore the nature of my energy with her. That way, she could spend the majority of her time on her true student while still getting to understand those abilities of mine that were so strange to her.

All this, for allowing me to visit this forest whenever I pleased.

She gave a pensive sigh, the corners of her mouth lifting only slightly as she mulled over my proposal. It was an easy decision, in my mind, to accept her offer to investigate my power. If neither she nor the ancient Kurama could offer any insight, it would be best to utilize any resource I had to try and understand what lay beneath the skin. Genkai especially would be of great assistance when I eventually revisited the topic of the woman within.

That could not go ignored. While my demon friend may be of use in reaching her, Genkai might be better suited to learning about her connection to me, more specifically to my soul.

Genkai took a breath, lifted her head with authority, and delivered her answer.

…

Standing on the edge of the Dark Forest was akin to sitting in a roller coaster at the very top of the incline, the slowing that almost made it seem the machine would stop, yet you knew in just seconds it would plummet down and take your breath away, leaving all your organs behind. My body shivered with anticipation of that plunge, muscles coiled tightly in preparation for the quick, exhilarating movement.

I was happy to be going back.

Looking at the treeline now, I could see where the fog began, just past the thick trunks that made up the deceptively sparse wall which protected the demons within. Unlike the first time I laid eyes on it, the forest did not assault me with the feeling of inescapable death. The darkness and anger remained, but they were more subdued. Perhaps it had to do with my demonic companion, or perhaps it was that I was familiar with the place already. Comfortable even.

Writhing and convulsing with life, the soft mist that clung to the grass moved on its own to clear in a straight line, welcoming, beckoning. No longer were the trees desperately clawing at we who lived, for no longer did we stare back with fear.

"This place…" Kurama trailed off, staring past the warded rope that contained my new favorite vacation spot.

"I know," I responded, allowing the small smile to cross my face. I knew he looked at me then, and I could feel the burning curiosity that paced behind closed lips. "Let's go."

I lead us over the rope, the tingling sensation more familiar now and feeling less invasive than before. I wondered briefly if it recognized me, but dismissed the thought. The forest was alive, not the wards.

We strode down the path the mist had made for us, the wall of vapor closing behind us like a silently crashing wave until we breached the treeline. Unlike before, the fog was nearly nonexistent. Visibility was almost perfect no matter how far we intruded. The darkness was more like a collection of shadows that lay over every leaf and stone, everything silhouetted rather than hidden. It was curious, and I pointed out the discrepancies to Kurama.

"These trees are of a rather primitive variety, much like those found at the center of the Makai's oldests forests," he explained with an appreciative glance around. "I believe the exact name is Misting Agara, though I haven't seen a variety so pure to the original strain before," he mused.

Both my brows raised with interest, watching the fox as he made his way closer to a tree, hands hovering gently over the darkened bark. He did not touch, but his energy extended outside his body, experimentally casting amethyst threads over the plant. I did not need to use my energy to see his power grow and flex as it made contact with the wood.

"I assume you are familiar with other varieties," I prompted, my question going unvoiced. He was a master of perception, however, and answered dutifully.

"Evolution has run its course on most plants," he told me. "The Agara I know react to the presence of fear and release hallucinogenic vapors to disorient their prey, normally weaker demons and humans. These seem to lack the chemicals required to induce hysteria, instead it seems they produce a fog."

He gave a pleased smile in my direction, not taking his eyes off the plant.

"The air is clear now because of the lack of fear. You entered this forest willingly, without hesitation I might add. In fact I would say you were almost eager." I pondered this as he finally lay a hand on the tree, his aura gently coaxing the plant into complying. It hesitated at first, the struggle between its instincts and the new, friendly power visible in the undulation of the bark. Kurama won out in the end, the tree bending to his will. A single branch snaked down, the flexibility startling to me as the wood had seemed so rigid before, and deposited a small round object in his waiting palm.

A seed.

"I enjoy the atmosphere," I told him after a moment, waiting for him to rejoin me. "It is somehow less stifling than the city, despite the heavy darkness of the energy. And the company has proven pleasant."

He raised a delicate brow in curiosity.

"I take it you are not referring to me," he guessed, and I nodded. Turning my attention to the black woods, I finally released the hold I had been keeping on my energy. It did not take the shape of a weapon, rather passing through the pores in my skin like a miasma of violet, stretching and growing, thin and translucent. It had nowhere near the opacity of my blades, barely visible as a shimmer of purple smoke, reaching in vast tendrils through the trees.

Only a few paces away, I heard a choked noise.

_"Hotaru!"_

I immediately took a ready stance, casting my energy and senses about in a dizzying pattern to locate whatever threat Kurama had sensed. My eyes had meanwhile gone to the demon himself to assess his status. However, it was at me he was glaring with a shocking intensity. For a brief moment, I imagined I would be forced to fend off skilled hands and sharp fangs with how feral his brief expression was.

"Stop that this _instant_," he all but growled, his voice low and threatening. My heart was throwing itself painfully around in my chest, lungs taking in far more air than was necessary. The air began to grow thick, and it was only my inability to fully process the fear that kept my voice even and my mind focused.

"What are you talking about?" I asked carefully, watching the way his eyes, darkened nearly to black from his blown pupils, raked my figure with wild _purpose_.

"Your energy," he spoke through gritted teeth, hands clenched to snowy white fists at his side. His body trembled, the effect almost impossible to see through the haze. "You must pull it back, _now_." There was warning in his tone, and though his body seemed coiled and ready to pounce, his stance suggested otherwise. He was restrained, stock still as he could be with the twitching of his muscles.

I steadily complied, reining back the power until it thrummed and pulsed warmly just over my skin. Little by little, his body relaxed, and his glare softened to an admonishing frown.

"What is going on?" My question was met with a hard stare, which I returned with just as much stubborn insistence. He shook his head in astonishment, his mouth set in a grim line.

"You really have no idea, do you," he mused, more to himself, lifting his chin to look down on me as though I were somehow at fault. "No, I see that. It is yet another innate quirk of your power that I have no understanding of. You cannot imagine how this irks me… though I am comforted by the knowledge that you are not causing this intentionally."

"I'm sure you _can_ imagine how it irks me when you speak so indirectly," I nearly hissed, feeling the heat of indignance inflating my chest. "Tell me what I am doing that is so offensive!"

His fingers splayed open in a gesture of appeasement, arms lifting just a touch in a non-threatening way. His eyes were more gentle now, though guarded. He harbored no ill will towards me, and I believe he never had any to begin with. Something had angered him, or else startled his senses. I needed to match his calm, or we would not proceed peacefully.

That being said, I did not relax my stance, my knees bent in case I needed to avoid his attack.

"It is not offensive, exactly, though it is rather unsettling," he began, and I cocked my head to indicate I would be receptive to his explanation. "I have attempted to coax information out of you before now, but I can see the allure you possess is natural. You have yet to explore the full boundaries of your powers, and clearly you are ignorant to your own capabilities."

My spine stiffened for a moment as I processed this.

"My capabilities… my… allure?" The word felt foreign and repulsive on my tongue, the syllables dripping with a saccharine venom. He only nodded.

"From the very day we met, your energy has called to me." I fell out of position, arms dropping as I took a step back. I attempted to ground myself as the information surged through me, as well as a flood of memories surfacing as though caught in a vast current.

The day we first met eyes, the distracted quality when he approached, only broken from his intense focus by Yusuke's harsh call. He had looked at me one last time before disappearing.

It was so easy, the way we seemed to fall straight into sync with one another. An easy acceptance of my help, a knowing look traded as we artfully manipulated his hospitalized mother, his appealing to me on the rooftop, and his lack of reaction when I threatened his mother's life. Yusuke had hit me… but why hadn't Kurama? He wasn't even angry...

In fact he was open, receptive, a fountain of information that continued to spill. Suspicion in his gaze was always tempered by a gentle calm. Upon my first visit, he was so close to me, physically invading my space to the point I could feel the heat from his body. Was he truly feigning the redness in his cheeks at certain suggestions?

_~"I only wanted you to be aware that I too am capable of such charms."_

_"It's difficult to argue with someone so impossible to deny."_

_"You have quite the charm about you."~_

I could not break my stare even if I wanted to, taking in his thoughtful, patient expression. It didn't make sense in the moment, no matter how hard the gears of my mind turned and ground against each other.

"I was only calling to the wolves just now," I started slowly, and then it clicked. He gave a shallow nod, and I felt suddenly quite foolish. The answer was obvious, hidden only by what my eyes could see. I was blinded by the soft human face, forgetting the demon that lurked beneath, as well as his true form.

"You're a fox." I breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, I pulled what remained of my energy as close to my center as I could. He blinked, startled by the sudden change in air pressure, and the fog began to lift at a sluggish pace.

"Indeed I am," he agreed, and I shook my head, scolding myself internally.

"I have an affinity with animals, which I believe I now know is linked to the nature of my power. With your human appearance, I never even considered that you might have been affected." His brows rose slightly at my admission.

"Quite a curious array of abilities," he remarked. "Perhaps I was wrong, and there is some demon in you after all." I gave a quiet huff of laughter. He didn't know the half of it, or maybe he did. It didn't matter one way or the other. Now that this misunderstanding was cleared, he might come to relax his guard around me further. At that thought, I paused.

That was preferable, somehow. It was very unlike how I should think, but the idea that I could have some abnormal, extraordinary level of control over him was less appealing than the prospect of him coming to trust me on his own merit. I could tell myself, logically, that this was due to the longer life span of relationships built on mutual trust and respect as compared to the temperamental nature of bonds made by unscrupulous means. I could rationalize this as a tactic of manipulation that was not energy based, but psychologically, by expressing a certain disgust for the effects of my (ignorant) actions.

None of those seemed quite correct.

"Perhaps. I apologize for any distress I have caused you," I told him, dipping my head in muted regret. I meant it too, that was the strange thing. Now armed with the understanding that my own actions have been influenced by another's will, I could truly comprehend how unsettled he must have been to always experience… whatever it was he was feeling when he was near me.

"I wouldn't say distress," he conceded comfortingly. "Merely an inexplicable desire to be in your presence. It was not unmanageable, until today." The muscles in my jaw twitched, the soothing warmth with which he spoke seeming slightly more uncomfortable after the revelation. I had not investigated my affinity enough, and it could have cost me a valuable resource. If he had believed I was attempting to manipulate him… I would have lost him.

"That is not uncommon. Most animals I encounter seem to feel the same way." His head tilted with interest, expression casual as though the reason for our strange dynamic had not just been uncovered. I was perfectly willing to play along with this facade of normalcy.

"Ah, you did say something about wolves just now, did you not?" I nodded.

"There exists a pack of demons here who assisted me in my first trek through these woods. I survived with their guidance." And their sacrifice, but that was irrelevant now. "I cannot call them with my energy, so we will have to search the old fashioned way."

He nodded with a look of deference.

"By all means, lead the way," he told me with a gesture towards the woods. I had hardly taken three steps, Kurama following diligently and closely, before the demon struck the conversation back up, the talking point one I had hoped we would not continue.

"It was actually quite difficult for me not to immediately agree to your first proposal, that we be allies," he said as though reminding me. "The offer was more tempting than I care to admit. My spirit was all but leaping at the chance to be on your side."

Pushing my way through the dark growth that surrounded us, my body kept moving of its own accord, a pitiful attempt to exit the conversation. I made no response, hearing him chuckle idly to himself at my silence.

"And of course, I would never have dreamed of letting you so close to my mother, except for the idea that I might express to you my utmost trust."

I let a tree branch swing backwards as I passed it, but there was no sound of impact.

The tone of his voice was light, suggestive, and a touch on the sarcastic side of innocent. He was teasing me, likely to incite a blush or some other reaction of embarrassment. Obviously he was playing up his 'confession' to bring me further discomfort, as he had on other occasions. I had discovered quite quickly that it was a favorite pastime of his to provoke those he believed would let him get away with it. Namely, this was myself and Yusuke. Kurama had not stopped at Scrabble with my partner.

Every so often, two or three times before he learned his lesson, Yusuke would accompany me on my visits to Kurama. This was of course the perfect opportunity for the fox to needle the boy until he threw his fists or left in a huff. I believed Kurama was trying to be friendly, and Yusuke did not seem to hold any ill will, but it could just as easily have been posturing disguised as friendly banter. By chasing Yusuke from our interactions, the demon was potentially ensuring that my time was spent focusing on him. That thought angered me, and it was even more frustrating to now know that possible hypothetical was my own fault.

I did not need to know about my power for it to have ill effects, and the fact of the matter was that I was completely oblivious, letting my ability shape the situations, completely unchecked and out of my control. But no more. Too much was out of my control now, and this would not be added to the list.

"Then the insinuations with your school friends made it so simple to play along-"

"Stop." I whipped around, startling him into taking a step back. I did not intend to move so quickly, or so sharply, but his casual, drawling voice was close to having itself removed forever. I took a breath to calm myself, but I knew I could not force my expression to smooth. He seemed to understand the sincerity of my anger, mouth closing almost instantly as he waited. Just waited…

That fox… he knew it bothered me.

"Understand, I do not like the idea that my power could have had unintended side effects that I was unaware of. I _do not like_ how my energy has influenced you. It was never my intention, and it never should have happened." His angelic features had _finally_, finally grown serious, the severe cut of his brow a blessing, like a single stormcloud moving graciously to obscure the jovially oblivious sun.

"This truly troubles you," he inferred, and I did not dignify his obvious realization with any sort of reply, physical or vocal. I waited for him to understand his mistake, emeralds glinting with the depth of thought he was putting into this remarkably simple interaction. "Clearly you fear losing control-"

"_I. Do not. Fear_."

I hadn't meant to speak, though he didn't seem surprised at all, not even a little bit.

"But for you to react so strongly to so little pestering is quite curious." He continued as though I had said nothing, and that was probably for the best. "Why is it, do you suppose, you are so angered to have caused me discomfiture?"

My jaw clenched, then relaxed. The motion repeated. I inhaled to ground myself, though my lugs felt for the first time too small to accommodate the amount of irritation I was pushing down.

"I… just am," I muttered, looking down to focus on the unmoving grass. Unlike the demon, the grass would not look back at me with analytical eyes, or attempt to pick me apart like some new brain teaser. "Do not speak of it any further."

I almost said please.

It took a moment, but I glanced up briefly to find him giving me a conceding look.

"Alright, I will say nothing more on the subject." I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"I am not influencing your response, am I?" To my chagrin, he rolled his eyes in an almost fond way, shaking his head and lifting one hand to rest on his hip.

"And you just asked me not to speak of it. I hardly think this is a subject on which you should be hypocritical." I frowned, watching as his mouth twitched up in obvious amusement.

"I have to be sure now," I retorted, and he hid a snicker behind a gentle hand.

"Have I made you paranoid?"

I opened my mouth to say his name in a tone of warning, but both of us immediately looked away from one another and to the trees surrounding us. It was that feeling of being watched I knew so well, that hint of malice behind the many eyes that now looked upon us, curious,violent, waiting as though held back by the thinnest string.

The woods had fallen silent, even the few strange-sounding birds shutting their beaks the moment the trees stood still. Energy that was not a product of the agara fog permeated the dark air, not nearly as stifling as Kurama's, but still recognizable as demonic, and predatory. Accompanying the eyes were rows upon rows of sharp teeth, glinting with their own feral light, imprisoning thunderous snarls ready to roll over their tongues.

However, I could feel my mouth twitching into a smile, stepping closer to a clump of bushes with my hand extended.

"Hello, Pack," I greeted warmly, the energy I had concealed now leaking into my voice. It was my hope that Kurama would be unbothered by the energy now that it was focused on something, namely not him, and it appeared that was a safe assumption. He did not move, except to look past me with a wary inquisitiveness.

In a matter of seconds, I was tackled to the ground by one, then two, then several large, furry bodies. I heard a startled gasp above the excited, lupine noises, but could not pay any mind to the demon fox. My face was assaulted with warm, wet tongues and frantic nipping at my ears and cheeks. One of them may have drawn blood, but the jubilant energy suffocating my senses made it impossible to care.

_Speaker! Speaker! You are here! Pack, Pack!_

Many voices joined the chorus of yips and whines, cold noses pushing into me from all sides, gargantuan paws clumsily crushing my legs and hands, claws digging gouges into my skin with the ferocity of their affection. I was buffeted from front to back, unable to find my footing in the tide of bodies twisting and rolling around me. I didn't even realize I was laughing until my eyes finally opened, coming to meet deep-set yellow orbs peering from a white-flecked grey muzzle.

"Alpha," I smiled, and his eyes returned the look. "You are well?"

The wolves around me quieted somewhat, moving just far enough away in their frenzied joy to allow me to sit up. I recognized several of them, and there were now more than seven. Even all those I did not know had greeted me with such enthusiasm. I wondered what Alpha had told them of me, if anything.

_I am strong,_ the large grey animal replied, the language coming easier to me now. He pushed his muzzle into my face, large pink tongue scraping over my brow and cheek in an almost parental way. I was aware he was cleaning the streak of warm blood that had sprung to life. _Speaker, you ask for help?_

I shook my head, only remembering after that he did not understand the gesture.

"No, not like last time. I only want to… see you, and run with you again."

At this, his flat-furred tail began to wag slowly back and forth, likely all the reaction his aged mind could muster, but his eyes sparkled like faceted citrine caught by the sun. He gave an uff of agreement, clearly pleased by my idea, then uttered a guttural growl, a polite warning to the others to calm down. I stood, dusting myself off, and noted the tense anticipation in the shaking bodies surrounding me. Their eagerness was infectious.

A few of them lapped apologetically at the backs of my hands, tongues coming away red like Apha's, and when I wiped at a line of blood on my chin, that too was cleaned away.

"I have brought a friend. My friend." Some of them had already turned to give Kurama rather vicious looks. "He is a fox, but he is not prey. He is mine."

Kurama, for his part, stood quite still, ready to run but showing no outward signs of fear or apprehension. He stared back at the wolves calmly, eyes cool and daring them to oppose him. A few of them took tentative sniffs, the large black canine near the front (Snap) recoiling in confused disgust.

_It is human, and demon. It is strange!_

_Does it Speak?_ Another asked, this one a blonde female that I did not recognize.

"He does not speak like me, but he is very old and very strong. He is mine," I reminded them. They would, if nothing else, respect the claim of ownership. He could have been my prey, my friend or my mate, but the word 'Mine' was unquestionable to beasts of the forest. As territory was theirs, as sleeping spots were theirs, as toys were theirs to claim, Kurama was mine.

Alpha grunted, pushing to the front of the pack to assess the demon himself. After a moment, the old wolf was satisfied with whatever he found, looking over his shoulder with a look and stance that exuded authority, ears angled up in non-aggression.

_Fox belongs to Speaker, he is Pack._

A grumble ran through the wolves, but none would question the Alpha this day. As it was, I hoped my word was enough for them to accept the new temporary member. One oddly familiar broke off from the pack, cautiously padding towards the demon with his rather large ears pinned to his head. His ruddy brown fur, which sparked a touch of recognition, was raised just slightly, but it was slowly relaxing as he drew closer.

I caught Kurama's gaze and inclined my head towards the young wolf, whose figure remained stuck in my mind as I furiously tried to understand the feeling of deja vous.

Slowly, Kurama bent at the hip, extending a hand, palm deliberately facing up in peace. The pup sniffed, one paw curled against his chest, then an investigative pink tongue darted out to dance over pale fingertips.

The pup turned, an expression of delight conveyed with a lolling tongue, lips pulled back in an exaggerated grin, and huge lopsided ears standing at attention.

_Friend!_

I stared for a moment as the familiarity of the image finally made sense, and it was with wide eyes and loose posture I took a step forward, my head tilting and brow furrowing in disbelief.

"Spring?"

* * *

**So, that took a while to actually get done. It wasn't that I was stuck, I just didn't have time to actually write it. See, this here is another added chapter between the meat of the story, and it does actually play a pretty critical role. In other news, Kurama has been adopted by the wolves! Cute? And oh, Fox Boy, teasing a girl when you know full well she'll make you regret it. I love their little friend dynamic.I also really enjoy how much she has grown to care fr Yusuke. Like, she actually misses him, and it's adorable. I just picture her like a dog staring out the living room window waiting for it's human to come home.**

**Meow for now!**


	27. Chapter 26

**Hohohooooo boy! This one took a bit longer than anticipated, but I think it was worth it in the end. To be perfectly honest, there was a lot of background fact-checking, some re-analyzing of motivations and plot points, and plenty of distractions. The story itself has been on my mind quite a lot though, and just today I thought of so many little things to add in later chapters that I needed to set up here, so there's that. **

**Next update will be accompanied by the first three chapters of my second story, which is, again, complimentary to this. You do not _need_ to read it, but I mean, I would advise you do. It's pretty important, and my god has it been fun. Its also part of why this is taking so long. I had to make up for a lot of changes I decided to make, because I just love to torture myself. Anywhore... on with the "sho!"**

* * *

_Ever since I can remember,_  
_Life was like a tipping scale._  
_Like an abacus I played with_  
_Counting every win and fail._

_'Cause I have lived my life in debt._  
_I've spent my days in deep regret._  
_Yeah, I've been living in the red,_  
_But I wanna forgive and forget._

_\- Forget - Marina Diamandis_

**Self Improvement 101**

The run, which would normally have left me winded, sent further shots of adrenaline through my system. By the time we all collapsed into an undignified heap (Kurama excluded from the ungraceful dog pile) I was ready for another race through the trees. The Pack members, however, seemed satisfied with our current position, taking their places as though following a seating arrangement, and it was possible they were.

I sat cross-legged in the midst of the pack, Kurama two wolves to my right and currently being inducted by way of forceful physical contact. He did not look particularly pleased, which brought me no small amount of satisfaction.

Alpha lay directly to my left, half laying on my knee and looking around contentedly. We had moved further in towards the pack's territory, the scenery growing clearer and less densely packed. A stream ran over a hill some distance away, and if Alpha's words were to be believed, that direction was also the way of the caves. The only reason we were not there was their mistrust of Kurama. I did not push the issue.

Trip bounced happily from one packmate to the next, his happy grin fixated firmly over his white fangs and showing no signs of leaving.

It was not so strange that I had mistaken him for his brother. They bore the same dark auburn fur, ruddy with flecks and lines of brown and grey, and the ears as large as bats. But where Spring's eyes had been more on the honeyed side of brown, Trip's were a rich mocha, just as deep and lively as the other's had been.

Another area they differed, I noted with a small smirk, was that Trip had inherited paws nearly twice the size of any of the others, the awkward proportions not at all helping him to outgrow his name. He stumbled more than once, righting himself without missing a beat.

His voice was slower, less erratic with his speech. In fact, his sentence structure was comparable to Mami's. The young wolf made his way over steadily (really, quite unsteadily) and plopped down before me, panting with lips pulled into an open-mouthed smile.

_Speaker-Sister! You see us, and you have run, but you want more?_

My lips twitched up, gaze resting thoughtfully on the perceptive animal. His chocolate eyes looked down at me adoringly, curiously awaiting my answer and ready to agree with enthusiasm. I reached up, and he allowed me to card my fingers through the thick, coarse fur along his shoulders until I stopped at the much softer, downy fur of his chest.

"I want to know things. I'm here to learn." He cocked his head, ears flopping over to one side as he studied me.

_Learn what?_ Alpha questioned. _You are Speaker, you know more than Pack._

I dropped one hand to nestle in the scruff of his neck, massaging gently.

"Some things, I don't know. I will learn by watching you, and Pack." Alpha huffed in acceptance of what was undoubtedly a strange proposal to him. Trip, for his part, seemed eager to proceed.

"What exactly is it you wish to observe?" Kurama asked suddenly, and I gestured to his chest briefly before returning my hand to Alpha's head.

"The only demons I have truly looked at, meaning with my energy, have been yourself and the perpetrator in my last mission. He is dead now, but I was able to see exactly how his power worked with his attacks. I believe I can replicate it, and it occurred to me that if I can observe and mimic other energies, I could do virtually anything with my power."

Kurama nodded in comprehension, his expression somewhat intrigued.

"It is possible, though some demonic energies are inclined towards certain specialties that cannot be repeated by your typical ki. I doubt your energy, sharp as it is, would bond well to plant life."

Sharp energy? Perhaps he meant it in the way that this was how my weapons manifested.

He stretched out a hand (maneuvering around a searching muzzle) and gave the grass beneath his fingers a gentle touch. He glanced down quickly, then back up, and I took the hint, pulling power into my eyes to watch his energy.

The amethyst aura flowed smoothly from the canals under his skin, caressing the blades of grass fondly, wrapping around them like glossy tendrils of carefully woven spiders silk rippling in the wind. The tiny strands sunk into the structural lines of the grass and diffused like vapor, carefully stimulating the growth center of the roots. The image of the energy web began to expand, veins broader and more pronounced in the stems.

I blinked, banishing the energy from my vision to see that several blades of grass had grown to almost five times their original size, a very obvious change which was rectified when Kurama withdrew his energy.

"You didn't see it, but near the end, I reactivated the cells to reverse the effects my power had on them," he explained, and I tilted my head back a touch. I stared for a moment, not entirely sure how to respond to his observation

"How did you know… that I didn't see?" I asked slowly, and the look of puzzlement he gave me in return made me question if perhaps my thinly veiled suspicion was unwarranted. It was disarming, in that he did not look like he had been caught out.

"You're eyes," he explained, quite deliberately. "They stopped glowing."

My brows raised in surprise.

"My eyes _glow?_" He gave a crisp nod.

"Yes, but only the sclera. It much resembles a jack-o-lantern, though the color matched that of your energy rather than fire." I hummed in thought, considering this new piece of information. It was certainly interesting to know there were visible tells of my energy use inside my own body, though it would have been preferable to know about them beforehand. Was it possible, I wondered, for the spiritually dim to see these displays? My own family would likely see it, in any case.

"It isn't really that surprising," I said after a moment. "I'll have to be more careful about it then, if it is so obvious."

He nodded, smiling wryly.

"Indeed, it's rather striking."

I nodded, turning my attention to the grass beneath me. As Kurama had, I allowed my energy to fall without much intention to the green, seeping into every cell in the vastly complex network that kept the plants alive. It was a slow, meticulous process, though it was likely the fox had greatly exaggerated it for my benefit. I could just begin to feel the tiny impulses running through the stalks-

But the grass was torn to shreds.

I frowned, retracting what little energy I had used, said: "I didn't intend to do that."

I glanced up at Kurama, who gave a sort of comforting smile, or perhaps it was only patiently indulgent. It could even have been gently teasing. All his smiles looked eerily the same, almost ingenuine, but with an annoying warmth that made his eyes seem to grow just that much brighter.

"I did warn you," he told me, in a tone that could have been either mocking or sympathetic. "I may not be able to see the energy within the body the same way you do, but it has a very distinctive feel to it when in use. I had little doubt you would destroy whatever solid object you attempted to bond with."

I narrowed my eyes, making yet another attempt, but the results were the same as the first. In fact, the damage was somehow worse. In my haste, the violet tendril lashed out at the ground, leaving a gouge of ripped up turf in its wake. My hair whipped against my neck as I turned my head to give him a narrow look.

"Tell me how to bond properly." He raised a brow, amusement painting his face with a small quirk of the lips and an updrawn brow.

"You cannot. As I have said, your energy is too sharp-"

"Then show me how to soften it," I interrupted, and he gave me a scolding look.

"That's impossible." I took a breath, ready to argue, but his eyes hardened, a sternness overriding the patience, emeralds darkening to near black. I bit down on my tongue, forcing myself into silence. Even the wolves stilled, possibly in reaction to my stiffened spine.

"You cannot recondition the nature of your own energy. It is the only constant in your body that will never undergo change or mutation, though a great many have tried. The power of any being will always be geared towards a certain set of traits that define the one who wields it. Your personality may change over time, but your energy will always be exactly as it was when it first bonded to your soul. That is simply fact."

He extended a small thread of amethyst into the grass I had destroyed, repairing the damage before my eyes until it looked as though I had never made my own failed attempts.

"My power is meant to bond with plants," he explained. "Such is the way of most animal spirits. It is subtle and gentle, like dust where yours would be more like a single hard stone. My energy is only dangerous when in contact with my element, but yours is by nature lethal."

I considered this, staring at my hand with a frown. To understand that this power of mine was flawed was certainly disappointing, but if what Kurama said was true, that would indicate I needed to be more inventive with my technique. Simple blades would only get me so far. Perhaps there were other forms in which to manifest my energy. Perhaps something like Yusuke's Spirit Gun?

"I understand," I finally told him. "In that case, do you imagine it is possible for me to utilize energy from my surroundings? There was a fighter we encountered here at the temple who used a basic muscle enhancement to greatly increase his strength. I was unable to examine his process properly." I had been far too fixated on Yusuke. Though, I did recall how it looked.

"You have a decent enough grasp of your own energy," he replied with a nod. "And the fact that you are human is certainly a factor in your favor."

"Oh? Are demons unable to do this?" I asked, a curious tilt to my head. He gave a delicate shrug, glancing down as a furry nose weaseled its way onto his lap. He pet the snout with a vaguely annoyed look.

"Demons as primitive as these would be completely incapable, though it is not particularly common among the higher caliber demons either. Demons in general are typically very attuned to their own energy, and as such deal in a specialized set of abilities. If it is not their nature or element, it would be very difficult to control. This is where the versatility of humans becomes a superior trait."

He gave me a conspiratorial look, his lips quirking up as though he found something amusing.

"Because human spirit energy is not inherent, it often doesn't bind to a particular specialty. Of course, it will always conform to your true nature, and any ability will naturally be different from another human attempting the same thing. If _you_ were to infuse a natural element with your energy, it would most likely result in that element taking on the forms of blades. Plants, being living things, would be exempt from that rule, as would earth, being too solid and unmalleable."

I gave a thoughtful hum, letting a small sliver of my energy twist and twine around my hand, curling over my fingers like ribbon.

"Then it would be possible for me to manipulate water, for example. Or air." His smile shone approval, a knowing look from ancient emerald eyes making me slightly uneasy that he knew enough to have suspected that would be my question.

"Subtle, difficult to retrace, both with the potential to cut deeply. I feel those elements would be the easiest for you to control."

I almost suggested finding the stream nearby to test these abilities, but hesitated. It was yet unclear if my energy would affect him if I were to use it, and not let it extend at random. My attempts to win over the grass had not required much power, but there was no telling just how much damage I could do with any of the ideas seeding themselves in my mind.

"There is little I can do without inconveniencing you," I informed him. "For now, I would like for you to teach me the method you used to mask your energy, and to explain what sets it apart from simply keeping the power close to you. You still feel my presence, yes?"

He nodded, pointing at the large wolf whose head rested on my knee. Alpha eyed the fox warily, but did not move otherwise.

"That is something even these animals can do. When you pull your power in, only it's effects diminish. Imagine your power to be a large flame. When it is in the open, I cannot sit close without being burned. Holding it close to you is akin to placing the flame inside a stove. I can be very close, and not be burned."

"You can still feel the heat," I guessed. "How exactly do I mask this?" To my surprise, he shook his head.

"No, it isn't so much the heat as it is the light. A large enough flame can be spotted from several miles away without the heat reaching the one who sees it. What a demon does naturally, especially those who hunt for survival, is utilize their natural affinity to make them appear one with their world. Being human, that method would be virtually impossible for you."

"Then this technique is less effective with increased proximity." This time, he nodded.

"That, and your intentions often betray your presence. The pack here," and he gestured to the wolves surrounding us, which had multiplied as the remainder of the pack wandered over, curious about the congregation. "Was inconspicuous until they intended to attack. That was when you felt them."

Looking around, I could now count several new faces I had not seen that day. I was not able to identify them as they approached, and the fact that they had gotten so close without my noticing was disturbing. It was made less so with the knowledge that their intentions had not been ill, and that my senses would have detected them in that scenario.

"Alright. Where do I begin?"

Kurama moved to sit facing me directly, palms facing up where his hands rested on his knees. I mirrored him, activating my vision upon receiving a nod of confirmation. Immediately, the network of amethyst overtook my vision, surrounded by the haze of the forest. It was a pale green, almost lime but more sickly, only broken by the bright beacons that were Kurama and various wolves. Even without focusing on the trees, I knew the ill coloration came from within them. Through it all, I could still hear Kurama's delicate voice.

More than that, I could see his voice. It distorted the vision of purple like a gust of wind would disturb smoke, the image returning to it's design after the interference was gone. The veins shone brightly, like crystals held to the light, and he spoke in low tones, voice quietly encouraging.

"This is much like the basic enhancement you were suggesting, however instead of utilizing the power to augment your body, you would be laying it over your own energy, like a fitted sheet over a mattress. It must be exactly the right amount, not too much or the excess will be obvious to anyone who is looking."

As I watched, his energy thinned, spreading out like a drop of blood dissolving in bath water. It seemed to immediately draw in the green mist, adhering to it as though it was magnetized. Slowly, likely for my sake, he pulled back every drop of his power, every tiny piece of which was attached to a small piece of the forest. Pulling it back towards him, the pieces layered over one another, clicking into place like the pieces of a particularly difficult puzzle.

In just moments, he was nearly indistinguishable from the forest. In fact… I couldn't see him at all.

I blinked, banishing the energy from my eyes quickly, but found him still sitting there, staring back with a knowing smile. He looked quite pleased with himself, and I noted for a moment that the emerald of his eyes had shifted in hue for just a brief second, brighter and more luminous, a feral gold glint which only confirmed how fortunate it was that the two of us were not enemies.

"Why don't you ask your friends to demonstrate?" he suggested. I kept my eyes on his for a moment before they snapped down to meet the yellow gaze of Alpha.

"I want you to hide yourself from… the eyes of the spirit." The vernacular rolled off my tongue with ease, though I was sure those were not the words I had intended to use. Perhaps proximity and their numbers were influencing the language center of my brain. All their wild energies pushing and pulling at my psyche was bound to have some effect.

_Why, Speaker? You know we are here,_ Alpha pointed out, a curious tilt to his head.

"I want to learn," I told him, but before I could explain further, Trip pushed his way into the conversation with an enthusiastic whine.

_You will learn by watching Pack! You said it, Speaker said it before!_ He puffed his chest out proudly as I gave his head a pat. I smiled at him, and he thrust his head forward to shower my face with wet, slightly disgusting affection.

"That's right. I don't know how to do it myself, but if I watch your spirits, I can learn." Alpha turned to give some command to the rest of the pack, words I could not understand as they were not directed at me, but I knew I might soon miss my opportunity to observe if I did not focus.

One by one, their rainbow array of energies began to disappear. Each of them moving much faster than Kurama had to stifle their power. With my vision the way it was, they were all completely invisible in a matter of seconds, with some small fluctuations here and there. Like the fox, their energy seemed to immediately adhere to the greenish miasma of the forest, sticking as though glued in place.

"Amazing," I breathed, blinking my eyes back to normal to find them all staring back at me apprehensively. "You can stop now, I have seen enough."

Immediately, I could feel them releasing the cloaks. Kurama did as well, his power warm and lively in comparison. I had barely noticed the difference with how slowly he had performed, but it was certainly there. Allowing his spirit that freedom made the area just a touch brighter, somehow, and I imagined this must be something like what he sees, albeit greatly reduced in quality.

"We'll focus on figuring out how to attach your energy to the surrounding field," Kurama began, and I sat before him listening intently. "The energy here won't naturally cling to yours as it does with ours, so we will have to think a little outside the box for this one."

I nodded, my eyes making the transition to see my energy more clearly. With one hand held palm-up in front of me, I called a small sliver of power to the surface, watching the vivid violet snake through the sickly green air.

"Will this be enough?" I questioned, and there was a delay in his response. I tilted my head. "Kurama?"

"Ah, yes. Sorry, I nodded," he replied. "Can you not see me?"

"Not like this, no. There is only a vaguely human-shaped network of energy veins."

He made a noise of wonder, and the maze of amethyst constricted slightly. He must have leaned forward or something to that effect.

"Interesting. In any case, that amount of energy will suffice, and I will not be affected by it so long as you keep it close."

"That was my next question," I admitted. "So, how should I start?"

* * *

We did not run as we did earlier that day. Upon taking our leave, we simply took a pleasant stroll with the lupine entourage, and if we happened to have taken the long way out (past the field of hidden leviathan plants) I would not complain.

Trip loped beside me, his large paws leaving drag marks in the dirt even when he trotted. Somewhere behind us, there may have been several muzzle-shaped imprints in the soft earth from the constant displays of his natural inelegance. As he meandered around bushes and nipped playfully at his packmates, I couldn't keep my eyes off him. I imagine I was waiting for him to fall head first over a ridge, or walk straight into the mouth of a giant flower.

How he had survived for so long was beyond me.

_Speaker, you had fun? It is good, Pack is good. The air around you is good!_

He rambled, looking up at me every now and then with eyes that shone joyfully. His lips never seemed to lose the pseudo-smile, eternally pulled back over his teeth in a deceptively aggressive display. Perhaps the only thing aggressive about him was the force with which he would hit the ground.

"Yes, I had fun," I replied. "You were all very helpful." He preened, and I pulled energy into my eyes to observe this effect.

It was as I had noticed, that emotional responses seemed to cause fluctuations in the individual energies of the wolves. His thrummed and rippled, a pleasant cherry red overtop the darker demonic shade. I wished, for just a moment, that I could have seen Spring's energy. I was probably capable at the time, but it was not until the blackout room when I discovered it. I wondered what it would have looked like when he died. A dimming? Perhaps choked like a stream whose source has been dammed off.

_You are Speaker. We will always help._ This was Hail, a bracken-colored female who headed our small party. Alpha, weary from the first run, had assigned her as our guide to the edge of the forest. She seemed competent, her eyes holding an intelligence beyond even the aged wolf. Her frame was the largest by far of any I had met, and it was with a strange discomfort I realized that, upon my next visit, she could very well be Alpha.

Her energy was a calm blue, one that did not have nearly the same propensity to shifting with emotional stimulus that the others did. In fact, I had to squint to see it at all. She, along with Alpha and several of the elder wolves were quite adept at masking their energy despite intent. Even as she made to attack another of her pack at one point, there hadn't been so much as a flicker. Without seeing her physical body first, I would not have known where or how to look for her. She could easily have killed me, if not for my own power.

I, on the other had, would have had absolutely no chance of sneaking up on her. Or on any other wolf for that matter. I'd had no luck at all forcing my energy and that of the forest to cooperate.

Of course, I did not expect it to adhere immediately, but all of Kurama's suggestions and my own ideas had proven essentially useless. If my power encircled the forest, the effect would be woefully incomplete. The effect gave a dappled appearance like algae dotting a boulder. Layering it like scales was terribly inefficient and took up far too much time, as well as too much energy to create the barriers. Even then, violet would still shine through.

Any attempts to infuse the surrounding energy with my own had resulted in the forest miasma shattering and dissipating, like filling a balloon with too much air. That did, however, give me a particularly interesting idea for future experimentation.

Kurama eventually called the session, and we moved on. At the very least, I was able to hold enough of the forest energy around my fist and give Kurama a decent bruise on his ribs. We discovered shortly after that the healing rune was unable to pull upon the energy from the trees, forcing me to donate my own power. It was fortunate Kurama was unaffected when my ki was being directed at something other than him.

"I will remember that," I finally responded, and she gave a gruff nod. Our party breached the treeline, and I blinked, shielding my eyes as the harsh afternoon light assaulted my vision. I could see from the edge of my vision that trip had ducked his head, giving a small shake. The pack could not have been very accustomed to the sunlight.

After their eyes adjusted, the pack turned almost in unison to face myself and Kurama, Hail speaking for them all.

_Speaker, this is the end. Run safe._

"We will." I knelt, offering my hands to wish them farewell. Trip was, of course, the first to accept, followed closely by Snap, Trunk (a blonde male), Bloom (a female of several colors), and Hail last of all. Glancing back at Kurama's hesitant form, I inclined my head at the pack. They all looked up expectantly. The fox sighed, and I couldn't help a small, _real_ smirk of satisfaction when he too descended to accept their parting affections.

_Will you come home to Pack again?_ I took Trip's head in both my hands, gently massaging behind his bat-like ears. His eyes closed in pleasure.

"Yes, of course I will," I assured him, and he gave my chin a happy kiss. "Pack."

_Pack,_ he affirmed, and the sentiment was echoed by the rest. At last (too soon, though I would not admit as much), we left the trees, stepping over the warded rope that contained the Dark Forest. Almost immediately, the heavy, oppressive weight of the palpable shadow vanished. The forest could still be felt, but it hovered at the edge of my senses, taunting, beckoning. I kept my eyes locked on the five wolves still standing there, trying to ignore the longing which accompanied the empty feeling left in the wake of the forest's absence.

I waved, Hail lifting her head in farewell before leading the other four back into the dense enclosure, bushy tails disappearing in the blink of an eye. I half expected my body to chase after them simply out of instinct, ignoring the rational part of my brain that made it very clear that this place was not my home.

"You know, we could have done this anywhere," Kurama told me, breaking the silence only when we had reached the extensive stairs that lead to the temple. We began to ascend, his amused voice prompting me to give him my attention with tired eyes. He continued, giving me a curious, probing look as he did.

"We did not need to make the trip here just to experiment this way. In fact, the dojo would have been more than sufficient. The energy there is plentiful thanks to your constant presence. Why go out of your way to visit a place so… inhospitable to humans?" I did not stop, but I did slow my pace as I thought of how best to answer him.

"As I said before, I enjoy the atmosphere," I admitted. "The fact that it is so inhospitable is part of why I find it so attractive. It is comfortable in a way human environments aren't. To be perfectly honest it almost feels like I belong there, isolated. Or at least, separated from other humans. The demons there are better companions. I like them."

It seems I had stopped walking after all, and I let out a sigh. I didn't intend to divulge so much to the demon, though it was likely he understood at least part of my sentiment.

"I would stay, if I had no other obligations."

I wonder what it was about confessions that made them feel so liberating. Secrets were meant to be kept, and guilty pleasures were exactly that, intended to be held close to ones chest and not revealed at any cost. Yet, it took only a moment for the relief to wash over me in a gentle wave of calm. I met his gaze, which was more assessing that I imagined it would be. Perhaps I was wrong. He was too human now…

Then he gave a smile I could only describe as sympathetic.

"I see." He did, that much was evident. I could not smile in return, though I wanted to, if only to convey my appreciation. No more words were spoken on the subject, though I was the one to break the silence as we continued our ascent. My eyes dropped to his pockets as I did so, quirking a brow.

"I noticed I wasn't the only one to enjoy our field trip," I remarked. "I'm not particularly fond of those leviathan plants, but I did think of you when I first happened upon them. I take it they were to your liking?"

Of course they were. His reaction was even greater than the one he afforded the Misting Agara, and I shudder to think of what use he might put his new tools to.

"It's common name is the Travellers Trap," he said. "It's modern descendents have evolved to have connected, prehensile vines with which to draw prey in manually rather than waiting for an unsuspecting victim. They're much faster as well, though these will still be useful."

"Travellers Trap," I mused, recalling that even my vision could not detect the plants as they lay under the grass. "That's a fitting name. I would have fallen into that trap had it not been for the wolves."

"They seemed quite taken with you," Kurama noted, and I scoffed.

"Apparently it was nothing to do with me at all. It is my energy they are enamoured with." I realized I sounded bitter, an embarrassed flush heating my cheeks. "Of course it matters little. They will obey me, whether they find me personally agreeable or not."

"Don't sell yourself short- you would still be quite charming without your power," he reassured, though the tone suggested he had finally returned to the good-natured teasing that plagued every other conversation I had held with him. I wasn't sure if that made me feel relieved or irritated.

"I'm sure," I replied dryly, the both of us cresting the top of the stairs just moments later.

The temple stood largely unchanged, the gigantic doors left unlocked for us to enter the courtyard. It was strangely silent, though considering the last time I had come through the wooden double doors, it had been crowded with hundreds of hopeful students. In their absence, the stillness was almost eerie, broken only by the faint presence of two sources of power from further within. Both were familiar, yet only one provoked a sense of longing.

It wouldn't do to interrupt him now. I would only be a distraction. Also, judging by the complete lack of awareness presented, he had no idea I was even here. I doubted Genkai would have told him, and even if he somehow managed to pick up on Kurama, he wouldn't be sensing a threat.

"You don't need to be here," I said, more of a caution and a warning than a dismissal. "I understand if you feel unwelcome. She… has that effect on people."

Kurama gave a warm chuckle, moving to stand beside me rather than behind, and I met his sure gaze with what I hoped was concern.

"I'm quite alright. Genkai-San is not the first nettlesome human I've had the pleasure of dealing with." The not-so-subtle, rather pointed look went ignored in favor of turning my back on the vexatious demon and ascending the small flight of stairs to the temple entrance.

There was something of a waiting room beyond the sliding door, and the scenery beyond that hinted at a kitchen. I could smell jasmine tea from even here, though Genkai's energy was still quite a ways away, which lead me to the assumption that she was expecting us. Or at least, expecting me.

"Shall we wait for here there? It seems to be the intended thing," Kurama suggested, and I shrugged.

"It doesn't matter to me. I'm not fond of tea." We passed through the room, stepping around the mats where we might otherwise be kneeling in prayer or discussion, and entered into a kitchen that was roughly half the size of the dojo, which is to say it was rather large for a kitchen. Most especially, it was an odd room to belong to a single woman living in the middle of the forest. It was clear that this was meant to be a communal place, which implied that once, there were many residents.

Where had they all gone?

"Indeed, I noticed you have a predilection for very dark coffee," the demon remarked. Both of us gravitated towards the table, which was set quite delicately with an ancient looking tea set. Steam still poured from the spout, and I would wager that the stove to the left was still hot.

"It's a habit I picked up years ago. I think I might have an addiction at this point. It would be troublesome if it weren't manageable, and with a substance very easy to obtain." Despite my distaste, I poured the two small cups that were there, offering one to the fox who accepted graciously. It would be rude, after all, to refuse Genkai's generosity.

The smell was pleasant, but there was little to no taste. Perhaps my palate had been spoiled by the dark roast I coveted, or else irreparably damaged by how hot my drinks always were. Kurama gave a barely perceptible nod, the beverage apparently meeting with his approval. I hesitated before setting mine down, resolved not to touch it now that I had given my obligatory taste test.

It was silent for a moment, calm in a comfortable way that I was unaccustomed to. Usually, I would find myself floating in a sea of silent tension, just waiting for the storm to hit and the dam to break. Other times, it was the silence that followed emotional drama. I could not remember the last time silence between myself and another was companionable, with exception to once. The lack of sound then was due to Yusuke falling asleep, but the feeling of contentment was still there.

But then, the fox had to break that peace with an airy laugh.

"How long are you going to stand there?"

My breathing hitched, body moving to stand of its own accord when Genkai's rough chuckle answered him from behind me. She was at a distance, a solitary figure standing in the center of the doorway and watching with smug honey eyes. Her thin lips twisted into a self satisfied smirk as I relaxed my position.

"Jumpy, aren't we?" she prompted in a sardonic voice. "Seems like your sensory abilities aren't as sharp as you think."

At that, I once more checked the locations of the energies, casting minute pulses of power which reported back to me the four people at the temple. Kurama directly beside me, Yusuke still a distance away, and Genkai…

"How are you doing that?" I asked, completely in awe of this feat. Even in my research, I had yet to come across any abilities which allowed you to separate your energy from your body, even if only superficially. It was plain to see that what I had been feeling before was indeed Genkai, or something which resembled her. What I could feel from the woman before me was something much like how Kurama's energy felt just before he completed the cloaking technique.

I hurried to activate my vision, eager to observe, but Genkais sharp reprimand stopped me in my tracks. I had forgotten the very visible indication of my power.

"What did I say about doing that?" she snapped, and I hastily reversed the process, though not before catching a glimpse of her turquoise pathways still burning brightly. She frowned, scoffing lightly. "Well now, isn't that a change."

I tilted my head, curious even in my embarrassment after being caught out.

"What do you mean?" She ignored my question, eyes flashing briefly towards Kurama, who was still seated at the table to my back.

"Just how long do you intend to stay? This is a temple, it's not open to tourists." I looked back to find the fox giving her a cheery smile, gesturing delicately with his teacup in hand.

"Still, I thank you for opening your doors to me. Not many human psychics would. As for the duration of my visit, I planned to leave when my parole officer does." His simpering look did not diminish, even as she sneered.

"Well I hope you're up for a long wait _alone_. My training has no room for observers, and I'm already taking on more than I bargained for." At this, she aimed a pointed glare at me, which I took with a blank face. I could not express remorse for a decision I still believed was the best.

"I'm sure I can keep myself entertained," was Kurama's pleasant response. My lips twitched as a thought came to me, and I watched Genkai surreptitiously for her reaction.

"If he could find your personal arcade, I'm certain he could waste away hours on the games." She did not disappoint, expression just short of volcanic for a brief moment. It settled into a more muted rage.

"Try it and the girl will have to find a new demon to fill her quota." I could think of a few, though Kurama was preferable to them all. But this was going nowhere. The banter, while amusing, could only grow more perilous from here. It was only a matter of time before her irritability and Kurama's unshakable passive aggression resulted in war.

"May we begin, Sensei?" I asked politely, more sure about using her title now that it was to be more official. She gave a huff, turning to leave but pausing for a moment.

"We'll be using the back courtyard. Find me when you've done something about your hands. What you'll need is in the cabinet under the sink." She walked away, steps completely inaudible as she disappeared from view. I raised said appendages for inspection, finding the backs of them riddled with deep, gouging claw marks from the wolves' aggressive affection. My knuckles were raw and red, though they had stopped bleeding long ago, and the skin of my fingers was lined with fleshy pink. The animals had licked them clean in apology, and my hands were now comfortably numb, if not rather ugly.

"Ah," I voiced, blinking down at the injuries. "I'd forgotten."

"Of course you did," Kurama sighed, rising steadily and making his way to the area the old woman had indicated. He knelt, then stood again with a clay jar in one hand, a roll of white bandages in the other.

"Sit. It would be easier if I did it." His voice left no room for arguments, not that I would have any to offer. I retook my set dutifully, the demon sitting across from me with a look of concentration. He took my hands, gently applying a bitter-smelling salve from the jar before wrapping the knuckles tightly. The right hand was complete, and he moved on without a pause, taking the other in a careful grip.

"I don't need an escort," I said after a while of his repeating the process on my left hand, and he glanced up briefly. "I'm more than capable of getting home by myself."

He gave a conceding nod, fingers ghosting across the back of my hand as he mapped out the next area he would wrap. From my fingertips to my wrists were completely concealed on the finished hand, the bandages wrapped in such a strange way that they afforded both full coverage and full range of motion. They were tight enough that they would stay in place during any strenuous activity, but not so tight my circulation was in danger. It may have been something small, but I did spend quite a while admiring his handiwork.

"I'm aware. However, it would be extremely improper of me to allow a young girl to make such a long journey alone. In any case, I have been under the impression you enjoy my company." His eyes regained the shrewd glint once more, hiding behind that polite innocence he wore so well. "Was I wrong?"

Such a simple question. He always did appear so very straightforward on a surface level. His questions, odd remarks, even his suggestions seemed guileless to the unaware. Even knowing his true nature, it was such an easy feat for him to lead me down a rabbit hole of thoughts I did not want to have. Manipulation was a game I thought I could play in my sleep, and I could… unless Kurama was my opponent.

At times, he seemed to know everything. It comes with age, I imagine, though experience undoubtedly had a large part to play. He was a kitsune, and if legends were to be believed, he was not one to be trusted. I should not afford him any freedoms. I should not allow him to be so carelessly informal. I should not reward his badgering with charity and consideration.

I should most certainly _not_ enjoy his company. And yet.

"You're not wrong." I flexed both my hands, his job now complete. "Even if all you do is harass me."

I stood, leaving the room with a small, self-satisfied, _real_ smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Now aware of what I was looking for, I adjusted my spirit pulses to pick up the weaker energy Genkai was putting out before, but it seemed she had reabsorbed her power. There was only one signature, and I found it waiting for me in the courtyard near where my bedroom had been on my last visit.

The old woman sat cross-legged in the grass, her eyes sliding open when I arrived. I stood at the top of the steps, looking down at the pristine training ground, which I imagined would soon bear the scars of my labor. Approaching further would be akin to jumping off my balcony into a barrel of water. Obviously I could do it, but there was a certain amount of risk involved. Nothing was set in stone. Genkai may easily decide I was unteachable, or we could simply be incompatible as master and student. There were any number of possible unfavorable outcomes. It wasn't often I did something with such a risk of the reward simply being unattainable.

"Well now." Genkai got to her feet, her diminutive stature not matching the magnitude of her power. "Let's get started."

I nodded.

* * *

My spirit energy was nearly nonexistent.

I was quietly thankful for Kurama's company on the journey home If even so much as a kamaitachi had approached me with the intent to harm, I would have been incapable of defending myself. Training with Yusuke was painful. Training with Kurama left my limbs weak. Training with Genkai… was stressful.

I did not envy Yusuke anymore, at all. Whatever she was putting him through to be her successor must have been several times worse than what she called "a little warm up." For someone her age, she was surprisingly spritely, nimbly avoiding the encouraged attacks I threw at her, and outright laughing in my face when she-

I groaned, massaging my temples. I would _not_ be thinking about that again today.

Once home, I debated cooking something for myself, since I could smell that dinner had already come and gone. In the end, cup ramen was the regrettable choice I made, my legs completely unwilling to stand at the stove for any length of time. Mami joined me as I waited on the microwave to finish "cooking" my "meal". She hopped gracefully onto the counter, rubbing against my face with a purr of greeting.

Immediately, I pushed her away, absolutely shocked by her action.

"Get down," I ordered, staring wide-eyed at her as she gave me a reproachful look in return. "Since when, exactly, have you been allowed up here?"

She sniffed, said: _The tall one lets me,_ in a very sulky tone, her intention likely to guilt trip me. I frowned, narrowing my eyes in the direction of my brothers sunny aura.

"He doesn't have the authority here, I do. It's unsanitary." She glared at me for a moment before dropping down, her body thumping just a touch more loudly than she should.

_You smell like dog,_ she accused bitterly. _Your hair stinks of drool and death._ Pouting with her tail stuck haughtily in the air, she left the room. Almost as soon as she came, she was gone, leaving me alone once more. I sighed, leaning against the counter once again to contemplate my apology, should I decide she deserved one.

Today did not appear to be my day.

After my dinner of questionable nutritional value, I made certain that both my siblings were quite absorbed in whatever tasks kept them occupied in their rooms before indulging in a very long, very hot shower. The grime (and apparently drool and death) of the forest sullied the water that ran over pale skin, leaving streaks over my body until my hands smoothed over the collected filth. The floral scents of the off-brand soap permeated the steam, collecting in sweet-smelling droplets on every surface. The water hitting my neck with a consistent sharp pressure eased the strain the old woman had put on my brain stem.

The scalding heat was likely dying my body to match the color of my hair, but it was like a fine-bristled comb moving through the stringy strands, the painful heat keeping me awake long enough to complete my wash after a sufficient amount of time simply standing there. Upon completion of this immersion in cleanliness, I wiped the condensation from the mirror to inspect any damage received that I may have to cover up.

Unsurprisingly, the bandages Kurama applied did not survive the volcanic shower, however it was possible to use my pen now without sacrificing my own energy needlessly. A quick application of the proper runes onto my pinkened skin (not quite the same shade as my hair) and they began to close immediately, though slowly. With that out of the way, I felt it safe to dress for sleep without fear of getting blood on the sleeves. I then turned my attention upward, to my face.

My hair stuck to my skin, plastered like a curtain of blood against my cheeks, ears, and even my shoulders. It barely touched, but it was long enough that I could feel the unfamiliar, uncomfortable prickle. It was strange, but I had forgotten for so long to maintain the chin-length that I had worn for three years. The time had passed me before I could begin to see, or else I was far too distracted by spirit shennanigans to notice the glaring vulnerability.

I peered into the left-side top drawer, Shizuru's personal products which should include a pair of trimming scissors. It was an easy enough task. I had gotten quite good at cutting my own hair, despite numerous botched attempts my first few months. Thankfully, Asako was quite handy with scissors, and was more than happy to assist me in place of my sister.

I pawed through the drawers contents with a frown, searching for the telltale glint of the scissors blades, when the door burst open and the air pressure changed dramatically. Cold air swept through the steam, which parted like an undulating octopus and opened my still red skin up to the shock of biting cold that was the normal room temperature. I bit back a hiss, staring incredulously at the boy standing in the doorway, a crumpled magazine clutched in one large hand.

"Ru-Ru! Guess what I found!"

I raised a brow in a scolding manner.

"You're lucky I was dressed," I told my brother calmly. He blinked, then reeled back as though just now realizing the embarrassment he had narrowly avoided.

"Gah! Sorry Sis, I wasn't thinkin'," and he looked away with flushed cheeks. I frowned.

"You're already here, what do you want?" I asked impatiently, and he glanced back. The eager light in his gaze, though hesitant, banished any ill feelings I may have had on the matter. He was excited, that was all. It wasn't like we hadn't seen each other naked before anyhow. Being so close in age, it had been normal for us to have baths together as toddlers. Even as we aged, that sort of propriety had never really taken priority. It was easy enough to forgive, and to focus on the crinkled paper he was brandishing in my face with enthusiasm.

"Look at what I found! I was going through a bunch of stuff in the toy box- you know, the one we put in the closet? Anyways, I found a bunch of these! I totally forgot I used to collect them!" I took the magazine, pulling it to a slightly more readable state ("Cripes, I crumpled it up!") and examined the cover.

It was a fashion tabloid, the name _Olive_ in large, looping pink script triggering the faintest of recollections. The magazine cover showed two girls in the fashion of the previous decade, the colors garish and mismatched yet somehow not looking completely like a toddlers first art project.

"There's a whole bunch of them, _Fruits_, _Vogue_, _Dolly_\- 'course they're all kinda old styles…"

Turning the pages made it very clear to me (and made me remember them fully) why he had been collecting them. Every few pages, a woman's head would be circled in blue crayon. Dark notes in neat handwriting was penned in every now and then as well under certain models, notes pertaining to the hairstyles. The writing was Shizuru's, and it took only a moment for me to guess that the blue crayon markings were not, in fact, my sister's doing.

Especially considering nearly everything circled was some sort of braid, or had the knots incorporated into the design.

"I just figured since you were growing your hair out again, I'd start braiding it like when we were little. You remember?" I tore my eyes away from the gaudy expression on a model's face, staring up pensively at my brother's earnest expression.

"I remember," I replied plainly, and his eyes lit up in realization.

"I can try now, maybe get some practice in before I do anything super complicated. Oh! I didn't even show you the best one- hold on, I'll get it!" With that, his gargantuan frame flashed with incredible speed to the next room over, leaving me standing in the now cold bathroom with one hand still in the drawer, the other holding the magazine limply.

The fogged up mirror was beginning to clear, the cold overtaking the water droplets and pulling them closer together into larger spots on the glass. They slid down, leaving streaks which I would have to wipe away later. The wet spots on the back of my neck were beginning to chill uncomfortably the longer I stood there, unmoving, listening as Kazuma rummaged loudly in the closet. The room was terribly cluttered, and if I remembered correctly, the toybox had been one of the first things to be put away, all the way in the back behind old furniture and boxes of clothes that our father still refused to get rid of.

He must have spent all day digging through the mess just to have access to the contents of the chest. I distinctly recall helping load up several action figures, power rangers and superheroes and the like, as well as the childrens books he had outgrown. The blue ranger was at the top of the trove when we buried the treasure in the darkness forever. The magazines must have been at the very bottom of the crate, underneath every other important childhood memory he possessed in that tiny brain of his…

I looked down at the sink. Just a foot away from my hand, nestled safely in the jewelry display box, was the necklace I had only just removed, unwilling for the water to damage the chain. The abhorrent white cat smiled at me from behind the glass, sweet and happy in a childish way that was now wholly unfamiliar to me. Yet even the sight of that abomination which dared to call itself jewelry gave off a warmth that could not be dispelled by the sudden cold of the open door.

I smiled, and it was real, and I closed the drawer.

* * *

…

For Kurama's part, his weekend excursion with Hotaru had been nothing short of wonderful. With weighty secrets revealed by both parties, tensions resolved, and misunderstandings rectified, there was nothing that could have ruined his mood. Even his mother noticed, a knowing gleam in her dark eyes as she probed him for answers. Naturally, the moment Hotaru's name came up, the woman smiled.

If nothing else, he had to hold on to the girl for that.

The danger he could sense pouring from her essence had, of course, left him incredibly wary. The allure too, though it also beckoned him. The gifts, the kindness, the charity she showed him with little to no prompting, all indicated the manipulative personality that she made no attempt to obscure. She was not a nice person, nor did she pretend to be. If that were the case, however, then it should be quite impossible for any act of kindness from her to be genuine.

The operative word there is _should_. For all the knowledge and experience he claimed, he had not once met a human quite like Hotaru. True, she may not be entirely human. He had his suspicions from the start, but it seemed best to let her figure it out on her own. She did seem the type not to believe anything she could not herself first prove, and he would let her, offer guidance if it was necessary. And…

He would pray that she was not what he suspected.

… But circling back around to his point, someone as disingenuine and cold as she is should not be capable of authentic graciousness. When everything she has done thus far to give him an ounce of trust, and every act of benevolence has been for her gain, he must suspect every hint of altruism to have some unseen motive.

Until that day.

There was no real reason to bring him to the forest. He had already sworn to teach her what he knew, and it was never his goal to betray her. This was, of course, due to a number of factors, the foremost being the pull of her power. Yet even without the allure afforded by her energy, there were several reasons to maintain his alliance. He realized very early on that he had quickly grown fond of the girl. She was very demonic, and in a way that made him feel less alone in the human world. Her cold pragmatism and disregard for the common man reminded him strongly of his days thieving with his bandits. She would have been an incredible asset to him back then.

This was the reason he found her useful, as she did him, but it ran further than that. Her open display of vulnerability, while a ploy to gain his sympathy, was still a baring of her soul to him. She had still displayed her greatest weakness, evening the playing field in order to gain the upper hand. He could see the compassion she felt for her brother, and it was real.

More than that, he could see the longing she hid so well when she spoke of Yusuke. It hadn't been there when they first met, not entirely at least. Now her affection was just as powerful, and just as obvious as it was for her brother. He wondered briefly if the affection was romantic in nature, but dismissed the idea immediately. It simply wasn't, that much was clear.

She had likely begun her association with him the same way she had with the fox himself. It had initially been for gain, an answer to her three questions that fit the requirements just as Kurama had. Then it had blossomed into feelings she could not ignore any longer, a flowering garden of emotions that continued to grow and change, becoming brighter and more lively the more she fed them.

Now, she had taken that first step with the fox. A gift, unwarranted, unasked for, without agenda. Simply, she had been thoughtful without meaning to be. She had shared something with him, something that was clearly deeply personal, something she didn't quite understand herself, and had asked for nothing more than what she was already owed anyways.

This was decidedly not a demonic trait. This was humanity, raw and uncensored. It was his hope that he too might be included among those that shared the limited space in her heart. It was a foolish desire, one he blamed entirely on the effects of her aura. But knowing this and applying it to his reasoning were entirely different beasts. He only knew that the moment she viewed him as not only useful, but indispensable…

He will have won. So long as she found a way to accept his friendship for what it was, there was no force in this world or any other that could tempt her to use that power against him, or his mother. Joining the ranks of her beloved would grant him immunity from even the highest authority once she came into her power. It certainly helped that he truly did like her. It would make slinking his way into her heart that much easier.

He knew his goal from their first interrogation. Taking the blade for Yusuke was only the first step. After all, he owed the boy that much, and more. A minor hole through his stomach was a small price to pay for her look of gratitude. If that wouldn't stop him, nothing would. Nothing could. He would not let anything or anyone stand in the way of his objectives. He was, to coin a phrase, playing the long game to win a prize.

So naturally, when he came across _this_ conundrum on the Monday returning to school, he knew immediately that it would cause problems. It already was causing problems, those which left ripples running throughout the entire student body. The problem had seemingly reared it's admittedly attractive head from nowhere, and was not going to disappear anytime soon without intervention.

Of course, he did not want Hotaru involved, should she fall into the trap, but by Wednesday, he finally had to admit defeat. Offering a greeting to his mother, who waved with soapy hands from the kitchen sink, Kurama made a beeline for the phone. Nimble fingers tapped out a number he had memorized the first day he was given it, and upon the second ring, the line was connected.

It was the elder sister.

_"Moshi moshi,"_ the deep, feminine voice intoned with mild curiosity. The timbre and monotone quality made it apparent that Hotaru's unique way of speaking was somehow genetic.

"Hello, Kuwabara-San. My name is Minamino Shuichi," he greeted with an audible smile. There was a pause.

_"You're the kid's friend, right?"_ He blinked, shifting position slightly to lean against the wall.

"I… yes, I suppose if you mean Hotaru-Chan," he replied with a nervous laugh, his face remaining blank. Over the line there was a quiet, deep breath, then the woman exhaled very deliberately. She was smoking. Odd that Hotaru never carried the scent.

_"Yeah, that's the one."_ It sounded like a joke, so he gave a polite chuckle. _"How's your mother, Minamino?"_

This time, he was the one to pause, contemplating her rather rude disregard of the honorific. Hotaru was such a stickler about proper manners. The sister must have taken that as a sign that he was surprised, however, offering a monotone reassurance.

_"My kid sister's only got two friends, and last I checked, Urameshi's ma was just sleeping off a hangover, not comatose."_ She took another drag of her cigarette, then gave a dry laugh._ "Besides, she told me about your situation, even dropped your name once. It doesn't take a genius to connect a few dots. So, how is she?"_

The corners of Kurama's mouth twitched, his reaction to what was most definitely the sister of Hotaru entirely genuine.

"She's doing quite well, actually. Hotaru has been by to visit quite a few times. Mother is quite fond of her- keeps telling me I ought to invite her over more often." Though his voice was pleasant, he was quickly growing tired of this small-talk. The woman was interesting enough, but he could conduct an interrogation of her at another time. "I was hoping to speak with your sister actually, is she home?"

The eldest Kuwabara sibling took her time answering, and he clenched his jaw, mostly dignified in his irritation.

_"Yeah, she's here."_ The woman let out yet another dry, monosyllable laugh. _"Guess I'll interrogate you another time, eh?"_

He was taken aback, but before he could question her, her voice came again, sounding distant as though she had moved the phone away from her mouth.

_"She's on her way,"_ the woman said at normal volume after a moment, and Kurama could only offer the sound of a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Kuwabara-San."

The conversation was cut awkwardly, neither party speaking another word. Kurama waited at the end of the hallway, half in darkness and half in the afternoon light. Dust particles in the air moved with more vigor than Hotaru apparently was, or else the sister's demeanor simply made it seem like the seconds that ticked by were actually hours.

_"You know, my sister's got a lot going on."_ That peaked his interest, and he continued to listen quietly. _"She tell you anything about our mom?"_

Kurama hesitated for an appropriate amount of time before responding.

"There have been hints. Mentions here and there, but never the outright story." The woman on the line hummed in thought, taking another deep breath through her cigarette.

_"Well…"_ she went silent, and the fox found himself leaning in as though he might prompt her to continue. _"Glad she's got someone she can talk to."_

Clearly, she had said all she was going to say, because moments later she gave a quiet mumble, and there was a rustling on the line. Hotaru's voice came next, crisp, clear, a much higher monotone than her sister's.

_"Shuichi-Kun."_ Finally.

"Hotaru. Are you alone?" There was a brief pause. He imagined her glancing up at her sister with that blank expression she always wore, quickly thinking of a way to leave and not arouse suspicion.

_"Hold on, let me check."_ He waited, listening to the white noise that was disturbed only by the faint sound of her breathing, and the gentle footfalls as she likely crossed out of the kitchen, where he knew for certain the phone in her home was located, into the hallway, up the steep flight of stairs with faded tan carpeting covering each step, to the second floor, turned right, passed the elder sisters room, and moved through the door into her own impeccably neat bedroom.

_"What is it?"_

He took a breath.

"I'm afraid we have a problem… at my school."

* * *

**The suspense is what I live for. I'm not sorry.**

**So just as a quick note, the phone convo with Shizuru was totally unplanned. It just worked out that way, and I absolutely loved it. I remembered as I was having Kurama make the call that Hotaru would not be the primary person to answer the phone, and since the father is pretty inconsequential at this time, Shizuru got the lucky spot. **

**Also, Kurama's little monologue was spur of the moment, totally on the fly. I just kept going with it because it felt right. _Also_ also, original drafts gave him half a chapter of inner dialogue, which I ultimately cut because it really didn't matter much. This, however... this shit matters! Oh, and I totally made him seem way creepier than he is. He knows the exact layout of her house, because of course he does! He's Kurama! We saw him creeping on Yusuke in OG YYH in one of the early episodes, so this isn't that much of a stretch.**

**I really love their dynamic. I'm super sad to see Yusuke leaving for so long, but I also really needed this development between my two manipulators. They're so similar, yet so different. Kurama's way more perceptive than she is, and he seems to know somethings he isn't telling her, huh? Hmmm... **

**Meow for now!**


	28. Chapter 27

**It's been like... forever, right? Sorry about that. It's unfortunate, but my real life is taking up way more of my time than it normally does. In that regard, I have a few personal updates!**

**So I banged out this chapter over the course of about four days because someone dropped a floor jack on her foot and had to miss two days of work before the weekend. Who was that girl? Oh yeah, me. I'm that dumbass. But like, I got a lot done over those few days. Quite a bit. Work has been keeping me from writing for long periods of time, plus my second update.**

**I got a dog! He's a beagle by the name of Sunny, and he's the sweetest, quietest dog you'll ever meet. Naturally the cats hate him, except my youngest fur-son Lucifer (ironic, I know). I spent quite some time getting him acclimated to living in his new environment. He's spent basically his entire three years on a chain staked to the ground. Now my Foxy and I have him, and we are quite satisfied with his personality so far. I really think this is gonna stick!**

**So, I'm on the mend, nothing broken, but hella bruising. I got off super fucking lucky. On that note, I got a nice long chapter today, chock full of fun stuff, so enjoy the "sho", and stay tuned at the end for the announcement regarding the companion story!**

* * *

_I think I'm going nowhere like a rat trapped in a maze._  
_Every wall that I knock down is just a wall that I replace._  
_I'm in a race against myself, I try to keep a steady pace._  
_How the fuck will I escape if I never close my case?_

_Cause I'm about to break down,_  
_Searching for a way out._  
_I'm a liar, I'm a cheater, I'm a non-believer._  
_I'm a popular, popular monster._

_-Popular Monster- Falling in Reverse_

**Common Ground**

"Your test results just came through," Takenaka-Sensei informed me, sitting at his desk as I stood by expectantly. I could feel my spine straighten a touch as I awaited the verdict. The older man smiled proudly, his eyes roaming the contents of the stack of papers in his hands.

"The school board was most impressed with your performance. Half of them had a mind to move you up _two_ grades," he remarked. I quirked my brow and gave a somewhat crooked smile.

"You mean, they wanted to move me straight into high school," I inferred, and he gave a warm chuckle.

"You've got the scores for it, there's no debate there. They simply don't think it would be wise, considering how young you still are." I remained silent, anticipating rejection, but the old teacher looked up with a nod of certainty.

"However, moving you up a single grade should prove no issue at all. The board has decided to accept your application, and your request for an immediate transfer has been granted." He grinned, his paternal gaze heavy with the weight of his satisfaction. "Assuming you have no objections, you can start Monday."

I nodded emphatically, perhaps too enthusiastic a response.

"No objections, Sensei. Will you be informing my teachers, or should I?" He waved dismissively.

"I'll mention it in the staff meeting tomorrow. You run along home now, Kuwabara-San, and tell your family the good news. I'm sure they'll be very proud." I smiled sweetly in response.

"I'm certain."

* * *

Thursday, after school, I left in completely the wrong direction to head home. Home was not, of course my destination. I was set on a course towards Mushiyori, a neighboring city, to deal with a little problem that had cropped up.

Kurama was meant to be waiting for me in a park just by the station, though I did wish I could have supplied him with a communication mirror, or thought to keep the one that Botan had taken back from Kazuma by the end of the last mission. I thought about asking her, though I had the suspicion she would have refused. Possibly, it was that they did not want demons in possession of Spirit World tools. I had the confidence that Kurama would not misuse whatever he was given, but it was unlikely my judgement would mean much.

I was relying on Kurama's abilities alone now, unable to check in and be sure of the situation. It was an unsettling feeling not to know for sure, but I knew at some point I needed to have faith in abilities other than my own. Unlike most people I encountered, Kurama was decidedly not an idiot. I was certain he could handle it.

… Well, I was hopeful, at the very least. He had expressed doubts on being able to keep the target in the area for any great length of time, which only encouraged me to quicken my pace. This contradicted his claim that he was in no danger, which confused me to no end. Surely if they were not a threat to him, he should have no issue subduing them.

The park was, in fact, directly beside the station, with a clear view of the bridge the train had just crossed and the river it intersected. Trees in the full bloom of autumn occupied the far corners, and I counted more than one photographer taking advantage of the scenery with large, heavy-looking cameras. There was even a group (they looked like tourists from a distance) laughing rather loudly as they took turns seeing how high they could climb one of the oaks. Something that disrespectful, I was certain a native would never do, and I rolled my eyes at the juvenile behavior.

It did not take long for me to locate Kurama, or his… companion. Both stood out, being the only students in the park. This was not too odd, considering it was a school night. Any reasonably dedicated student would still be studying by this time. Only those such as Kurama and myself could really afford to take our afternoons off. Yusuke, of course, did not count.

The demon in question was still dressed in the garish magenta, the other in cherry-red. It was a female student, that much he had told me. However, his description over the phone did not at all match with what I beheld.

Black hair, he had told me. Brown eyes as well, which the girl most definitely did not have. Even from a distance, it was clear that her eyes were blue, and there was no missing the shock of beach-blonde that cascaded over her shoulders in bold curls. A splash of red at the front indicated her fringe was dyed to match the uniform, and I had to wonder if this was acceptable at a school as prodigious as Meiyou.

They were somewhat secluded, several trees blocking the majority of the view of any passerby not really paying attention. It was a spot hidden well enough for what we required, but not so much as to make the target nervous. Surprisingly enough, Kurama did not notice me until I was in speaking distance. His eyes flashed in relief, and it took me less than a second to figure out why.

"-and not that it's any of your business, but I happen to like men who actually look like men. So, like, not you." My brows shot up, eyes flickering between the girl's scowl and Kurama's thinly pursed lips. He took a step back from her, folding one arm behind his back to presumably ready a weapon, if needed.

"Believe me, I find that perfectly acceptable," he said. He could have spat it as well, I suppose, or hissed it. Either way, his words carried a sense of deep and long-suffering irritation which left me curious.

"Tokagemaru Midoriko," I announced my presence, drawing the targets attention with her name. She turned with an annoyed frown, which quickly morphed into surprise, then greatly exaggerated shock. Her posture suddenly went slack, tense shoulders falling as her arms, formerly crossed, moved to an almost defensive position in front of her.

"Who's… um, who's asking? Er, I mean, that's me, yes, hello?" I blinked, taking a moment to catalogue her confusion and the two distinct tones with which she responded. Suspicion first, then a meek respect which was unbefitting of her stature in comparison to my own. She must have been only three or so inches shorter than Kurama.

"Hello. My name is Kuwabara Hotaru," I gave a polite nod, which she returned after only a moments hesitation.

"That's pretty," she remarked with a nervous smile, and I raised a brow.

"Thank… you." I existed in a state of confusion for a moment before collecting myself. It was odd. Compliments were not normally the first exchange between strangers. "My friend here, Minamino Shuichi, was under the impression the two of us should meet. I hope this wasn't an inconvenience."

At my mention of Kurama, she cast a bewildered look back at him, her mouth agape.

"Hang on, is she your… do you have a girlfriend?" She then looked outraged. "And you're here _flirting_ with me!?"

I raised a brow at my demon, who gave a delicate sigh of intense exasperation, glancing at me with eyes that were just shy of pleading.

"I did what was necessary to keep you here. That is all."

Before the girl could open her mouth again, I stepped in, coming a little closer to the pair. Kurama adjusted his position, placing himself directly behind Tokagemaru as she turned back to me.

"Minamino and I are not intimate," I informed her, and her cheeks flushed impressively. "He is my parolee, though it would be more accurate to say we are allies. I am the current active Spirit Detective of Earth. Do you know what that means?"

The girl blinked, her head pulling back as she regarded me with something akin to concern.

"Uh… is it like a club or something? Or a movement? What do you mean by parolee?" She glance back at him. "I didn't know womanizing was a crime. I guess it should be with weirdo's like you out there."

I watched as a thin vein ticked on Kurama's temple, that miniscule indication of his ire making my curiosity grow from a single blooming flower into a full garden. His jaw clenched, muscles of his cheeks shifting like he was chewing his words, holding them back as they clawed and bit behind his tightly pressed lips. My amusement at his discomfort was almost enough to distract me from the job at hand, and I regrettably dragged my eyes away from his face.

"No, not a club," I told her, taking a second to figure out where exactly I wanted to start my explanation. It was as Kurama deduced, that Tokagemaru had absolutely no idea about the world she now existed in.

"The Spirit Detectives are humans who maintain the peace of the Human World by hunting or otherwise dealing with problems of a demonic or spiritual nature. It is our job to ensure that demons and other such apparitions do not cause trouble in the human world, and that their existence or actions do not threaten human life or the balance of the natural world. Do you understand?"

Her eyes, baby blue and appearing incredibly synthetic (contacts?), were wide as tea saucers, one brow raised comically as she beheld me like I'd suddenly grown a second head with the face of a horse. She took a slow, careful step back, unwittingly placing herself closer to Kurama. He appeared to react on reflex, taking a much larger step away from her. I could feel my lips trying to twitch, but I kept the reaction under control.

"So… it's like, Live Action Roleplay?" I shook my head. "Okay, so I'm gonna go now."

I mirrored her as she attempted to step around me, watching her eyes follow my movements with flashes of unease. She halfway looked over her shoulder, seeming to have reached the realization that she was outnumbered, and completely boxed in. However, when she returned her gaze to me, she did not hold any fear in her eyes. There was only an alertness like prey cornered at the edge of a cliff. She considered jumping, if only to escape a worse death.

"Everything I am saying to you is true. There are humans in this world, like myself. Then there are demons, such as Kurama. And yourself." I gestured to my ally upon saying his name, but she hardly seemed to notice, staring me down intently. Her breathing had accelerated, if only slightly, and her body grew rigid as it prepared to receive a burst of adrenaline.

"D-demon?" she questioned quietly, and I nodded. "You're saying… I'm a monster?" Again, that word. It was Yusuke last who uttered it, and I shook my head with a frown, opening my mouth to explain further when she cut me off.

"What do you know, huh? You don't know me, you don't have the right to say things like that!" I was unbothered by her offended take on my words, simply crossing my arms over my chest and staring her down with calm patience.

"Perhaps you've noticed some changes in your body? Your heart, for example. Does it still beat?" Her breath cut off in a short gasp, eyes flying open in horror.

"How… how do you-"

"Maybe you have noticed that your appearance has been greatly altered," I suggested, gesturing vaguely to her mop of blonde curls. "Or, if you have had the right motivation, you've possibly discovered new talents and abilities, inexplicable but exclusive to yourself. Have you noticed anything like this?"

She remained silent.

"I'll take that as a confirmation, and with that in mind, I must inform you that you are no longer human, if you ever truly were."

She was motionless for a moment, eyes transfixed on mine and shining with a mortification I could not explain. She then rounded on Kurama, a fist raised and her voice thick with venom.

"You _creep!_ You- you've been spying on me or something! How did you even know? How do you know all this!?" She turned back to me, and one step forward was all it took. Kurama stood behind her, eyes narrowed, and I could feel him beginning to focus his power.

I held out a hand, my palm flat and vertical and facing the girl, who stopped and stared in furious confusion.

Violet light suddenly bloomed across her face as I charged my ki into my hand, starting a slow spiral in my palm. The aura danced over her cheeks, lighting her eyes until they shone like stained glass windows in the sun. Captivated, she leaned closer, and just when it appeared she might reach out to touch it (strange that she did not initially react with fear), I brought my hand down quickly, creating an arc of energy that morphed into a sickle, leaving a deep gash in the ground where it impacted.

She jumped back with a yelp, much to Kurama's obvious satisfaction, her eyes locked onto the swath of dirt now marring the perfect carpet of green. When I was sure she would not attempt to leave again, I called my energy back within myself, drawing her eyes to my hand again as the purple light sunk back into my skin, pores taking the aura like a sponge would water.

"Is this sufficient proof, or shall I ask Kurama to demonstrate as well?"

She gave me a strange look, tilting her head curiously. Once again, she remained completely unafraid, even intrigued as she continued to look at me, gaze searching.

"Kurama? Like, the mountain?" I gave a gesture in the negative, nodding towards the fox.

"The one you know as Minamino Shuichi is not human. He is a demon, like you, though he currently exists in a body that is human." She whirled around, taking a step away from Kurama and giving him a horrified look.

"You're not- wait, hold on, _what?_" Her hands flew up, waving as though to signal a speeding bus to hit the brakes. She shook her head emphatically, blonde curls bouncing into a dramatic mess. She stumbled for a moment, both of us watching her as she backed away and tripped on a nearby iron bench. There she sat in disarray, eyes frantically moving from myself, to Kurama, to her hands, and to random points in the air. The visuals of her exaggerated processing were amusing, to the degree that I no longer felt the need to be unfriendly.

"Take your time," I encouraged with a patient smile. "This is a lot to take in all at once."

"I'm a demon!" I blinked, watching as the girl suddenly jolted to her feet, eyes crazed. "That explains so much, you have no idea!" She looked at Kurama, the slight furrowing of her brow indicating she still did not view him in the most friendly manner.

"So then what do you really look like, huh? Cause like, I definitely don't look like this normally," she tossed the blonde curls, hand falling to her cocked hip.

"I have no other form," he informed her plainly. "Do you?"

The look on her face said she did, but she was clearly trying very hard not to show it. She waved his question away dismissively, a nervous smile gracing her lips.

"No way! I mean, not something hugely different, just like, different colors and stuff, you know? Totally not human-looking. But not like a monster either!" The fox and I traded glances, and I could see that he too had seen fit to drop his guard.

"You are taking this surprisingly well," I remarked, and Tokagemaru shrugged with a good-natured smile.

"I've kinda had a bit to get used to the idea that I wasn't, like, human. Demon isn't too hard to believe. I'm way stronger now, and I can run without my lungs catching fire!" I tilted my head and she giggled. "Asthma. So, what's gonna happen now?"

"Now," I began, approaching her to stand beside where she sat, not taking the seat alongside her. She looked up at me now, expectant, willing to listen. Her wide-eyed curiosity brought to mind fawns and rabbits, creatures one might find in animated childrens movies. "We ascertain your threat level."

The color drained quite hilariously from her face. She leaned away with a gobsmacked expression.

"Th-threat? Hold up, I'm not threatening anyone!"

"As I said before," I continued, ignoring her sputtering, "I am tasked with keeping the peace between humans and demons. Usually this has resulted in the eradication or else incarceration of said demon."

In a panic, she attempted to take a step back, forgetting that she was still in front of the bench. Only the back of it stopped her from tumbling onto the grass in a heap of limbs and hair. In hindsight, perhaps that had been too blunt of a statement. I should observe Botan's method of delivery, though the idea was as repulsive as the ferry girl herself.

"So my choices are to be _arrested_ or _die!?"_ Tokagemaru yelped, staring up at us with wide, fearful eyes.

"Not necessarily," I assured her, which seemed to do little. "You do not seem to be particularly hazardous. Kurama?" I turned to my parolee, looking to hear his assessment of the demon girl. He raised a brow, still giving her a narrow-eyed stare.

"She seems to possess less than remarkable shapeshifting abilities among the usual demonic traits. Exactly which species she is I am yet unable to discern, though from scent alone I-"

"_SCENT!?_" Tokagemaru's look of revulsion as she recoiled further from Kurama was comical, to say the least, her hands clutching her shoulders almost defensively as her entire body shied away. Kurama continued, completely unflappable as always (though with a noticeable tightening of his jaw), as though she had not spoken.

"I would hazard a guess that she was some sort of reptilian. Aside from mild kleptomania and a _particularly_ vexatious personality, she's harmless." The word dripped venomously, 'harmless,' as though it were an insult. And her barely perceptible flinch when he mentioned reptiles was an easy admission that this was the truth. I briefly wondered if my energy might have the same pull over her as it did Kurama, but with him so near, I did not dare to-

I stared in surprise.

"Kleptomania?"

Her face ran as red as her uniform, the girl turning on Kurama with an embarrassed frown. She seemed to overcome her previous aversion instantly, leaning in as close to his face as she could without actually getting off the bench.

"You don't have any proof of that," she refuted. "I was just borrowing the stapler, I wasn't gonna keep it!"

"Perhaps not after I pointed out what you were doing," he replied with a skeptically raised brow. "The instinct to collect and hoard is deeply ingrained in the blood of _bakemono_. Some of us are better at suppressing these instincts than others," he finished with a pointed look, and I hummed in thought.

"So then, all shape-shifters would end up becoming thieves one way or another. Like tanuki… or kitsune." He narrowed his eyes at me, and I responded with a small, crooked smile, which was quite real. It dropped when I turned back to face Tokagemaru.

"In any case, so long as you do not cause harm, there will be no need for me to interfere. You may do as you wish. However," I held up a finger at her look of awe. "This does not mean you can use your abilities carelessly. Without knowing exactly what kind of demon you are, we have no way of knowing the extent of your power. With that in mind, I would be open to the idea of helping you explore your power."

One could never know when the ability to change forms could come in handy. Depending on the range of her abilities, she could very well prove to be more than a little useful. After all, if she could change her hair and eyes with so little experience, what could she change with proper training?

"If I may, I would like to look into your spirit," I said when she did not respond. She seemed dazed, snapping to wakefulness and looking at me warily. "It is not painful or invasive," I assured her. "I need only use my power to see yours."

"Err," she hesitated, her eyes raking over me and spending quite some time on my hands, which were hanging harmlessly at my sides. "Sure, alright."

I nodded my thanks, pulling the energy from my core to my eyes. Her gasp was barely audible with the power rushing through my skull. It took just a moment to find her Core, which was a molten red not nearly as dark or thick as any other demon I had encountered. White still shone through as the energy curled and undulated inside its confinement.

The network springing from this oddly colored Core, however, was a clear teal, closer to the green hue than the blue. It was slow-moving, a trickle through her body. Slender veins wove around muscles and blood vessels, glowing faintly like bioluminescent marks on some jungle-based animal. The coverage of her energy over her core was thin and translucent, rather weak, but it couldn't be helped. She was new to her power

"Hm. Completely harmless," I mused, dismissing the power and blinking until my vision returned to normal. I found her staring back intently, traces of her earlier fear replaced by something I couldn't quite identify.

I took a step away, giving a subtle nod to Kurama who came to stand beside me.

"Of course, there is the matter of secrecy. Obviously you cannot spread this information to whomever you please. You should try to limit the number of people you tell about your change in species," I advised, and she nodded.

"Oh trust me, I'm not gonna tell a soul. You have any idea how something like that would, like, totally screw up my life?"

"No," I answered bluntly, and she gave a charmed smile.

"Well it would, a lot. You can trust me, I promise." I nodded in acceptance.

"Think about my offer. If you find you need to speak with me, you may use Kurama as an intermediary."

"Y-yeah," she gave an enthusiastic nod. I bowed, shallow and brief, before taking my leave. I could feel her eyes following us until we rounded the corner of the path that led to the train station. Even then, I waited until the two of us had taken our seats to wait for the next train out of Mushiyori to speak. Glancing up at Kurama, I could feel my mouth moving to form a smirk.

"I've never seen you quite so… emotionally compromised," I remarked casually, and Kurama's expression strongly resembled a particularly respectful glare. As usual, his face could contort in such contradicting and interesting ways.

"My feelings on the matter are decidedly _not_ in conflict, actually," he responded tersely. "The girl has no redeeming qualities that would make her at all worth keeping on hand. She is, as we have both agreed, harmless." I scoffed.

"Harmless. I take it you are using that word in substitution for useless." He shifted, examining the digital display that marked when the train to Sarayashiki would arrive. I had suggested we take one that would let out closer to his home, but he insisted that he could not very well tall his mother that he let a young girl walk home alone. Of course I told him he could lie, but he made such a fuss about that. All mockingly, of course, but it was enough for me to let him have his way.

"I don't see why you would need such a low-level pawn, and one so irritating as well." I was surprised at how he referred to her, searching his emerald eyes which had yet to look at me. Too focused he was on his dislike of Tokagemaru to really notice me.

"Pawn? Is that how you think I see you?" It was his turn to look surprised, and he tilted his head with a blank look, carefully hiding whatever it was he thought about this. Of course it was only because his expression was so dead that I knew he felt something he did not want me to see. Perhaps embarrassment, or resentment for this slight he perceived against him. If he truly thought of me as so callous…

"It's true, you're useful to me, and I may require your help every now and then," I admitted, this information being what he already knew. "But I should hope you realize that when I told you I wanted an ally, I meant exactly that. I would never dream of likening you to a pawn or underling. You are far more valuable with your own free will, and to attempt to rob you of that would be incredibly disrespectful to someone such as yourself."

Such things, I had not believed needed to be said. They seemed obvious to me. Kurama's age and fighting ability alone made the very idea of attempting to control him absurd. Those factors aside, there was a distinct difference between manipulating someone into liking me, and using leverage to force them to do my bidding. The second was tacky at best, and not at all befitting of the person I was attempting to portray.

That aside, it did not feel… correct.

"You were so averted to the idea that your power could in some way influence me, yet you were not willing to explain why," he recalled, and I could see him drawing conclusions now that he was not so guarded. "Now you speak of respect, yet the implication seems to be something less formal."

I shrugged, said: "Call it appreciation then."

He paused to consider this word, nodding once he found it to his liking.

"Very well then, Hotaru. I appreciate you as well." I dipped my head, not even trying to fight the ghost of a smile that flitted across my lips. He might need the assurance after all, if he still believed I considered him something lesser. I only hope he could tell that it was real.

* * *

I once spent an entire week researching the various facial expressions to convey regret. In the event that I was to deliver bad or unfavorable news, I wanted to appear as genuine as possible, and so when books failed me, I turned to media.

Actors in movies, specifically gaijin movies, had such expressive faces. Some may say they were overacting, though I found their exaggerated variety to be of great interest. Regret, like any other emotion, could manifest in any number of expressions. There was of course the dramatic regret, covering the face and spreading a wry smile, hollow laughter echoing raspy in the back of the throat. There was regret paired with mourning, characterized by distant looks in the eyes and a lax brow. The regret I wished to convey, while not at all genuine, was the apologetic sort.

Eyes wide and softened, brow furrowed just slightly, chewing and twisting my lips in an imitation of nervous apology, I regarded Asako and Hitomi as I delivered the news of my transfer.

Their first emotion was a shared shock, which was followed closely by a shared look of disbelief. When it finally registered, Hitomi attempted to give me her congratulations, which clashed visibly on her face with the dismay she was trying not to show.

"That's wonderful," she lied with a smile. "Your family must be proud."

"They are pleased with my progress," I confirmed, stirring the toppings of my tofu stir fry into the rice taking up over half the container. "To be honest, I have been making such requests since the beginning of the school year." Hitomi's smile grew more genuine, humor playing through her blue eyes like a traveling twinkle, there and gone in a blink.

"If there's anyone who deserves it, it's you. You always worked so hard."

"You'll still come and eat lunch with us, right?" Asako demanded, earning her a frown from her friend. However, to the surprise of both, I smiled.

"Of course. I don't see myself making friends easily in that grade." It wouldn't do to pull away immediately. The disconnect had to be slow and gradual, our time spent together growing less and less. Of course, I would need to find suitable replacements, which may be difficult. The dynamic these two girls had with one another made them uniquely compatible with my needs. I would likely never find accessories that fit so well again. However, leaving them behind a grade would effectively make them obsolete. It would be less easily justified to spend time with them when I was already ahead of them in the work material.

Asako grinned over her sadness, her relief reflected on Hitomi's face. The day was able to continue normally, our lunch period bringing with it an hour of time for conversation to fill. It was normal that the other two took up the mantle of discussion during this time, though it seemed my announcement had triggered a sense of urgency, both of them rounding on me with matching smiles soaked in conspiracy.

"So, Hotaru-Chan, how does your boyfriend feel about your advancement?" Hitomi asked all too innocently, giving me a half-lidded look from the corner of her eye as she leaned over her steamed vegetable medley.

"He's excited for you, right? Maybe you two will end up going into high school in the same grade," Asako suggested cheerily, and I gave them a secretive smile.

It had gotten easier to play along with their notion that I was involved with Minamino Shuichi. Ever since their initial meeting, not a single lunch had gone by without at least one question regarding him. His schooling, his mother, his health, her health, hobbies. So far, the image I had built for them was a particularly mild-mannered aspiring botanist whose compassion knew no bounds. Kurama himself had in fact inquired about the girls, and how I had been handling them recently in regards to himself.

I never did answer him.

"I saw him yesterday briefly, but I forgot to tell him. We were otherwise engaged." The words came out before I could double check them for the possibility of miscommunication. This was regrettable, as the girls faces immediately turned impressive shades of red. Hitomi, for her part, looked somewhat mortified, while Asako's blush was accompanied with an eager curiosity.

"Were you making out?" she whispered excitedly. I cleared my throat.

"We were studying with a schoolmate of his." My response seemed to displease her, her cheeks puffing out and brow pinching in exaggerated frustration.

"So boring. Maybe you two should 'study' with us next time," she suggested with glowing eyes. Hitomi nodded in agreement, missing the thinly veiled innuendo.

"That would be fun, I think. It might give us a chance to know him better. After all, his mother is doing well, yes?"

Why they imagined the two of us, leagues ahead of them, would want to study with children so far behind in their studies is beyond me, but I smiled wider and tilted my head.

"I'll bring it up to him." That should have been the end of the conversation. They had received a vague answer that was neither a commitment nor a refusal, as was my usual. Normally, the conversation would move on. Asako, however, decided to maintain that particular topic thread.

"What do you guys do together, when you're not studying?" she asked, rather blatantly with a rudeness I was accustomed to. It took a moment for me to formulate an answer, not quite prepared for this question.

"Well… we recently took a hike up to a rather secluded temple. There was a forest there with the most… interesting plant life. He was quite happy to take samples." Both girls looked intrigued, leaning in with appropriate interest.

"Oh? Which temple?" Hitomi queried, and my answer was rather honest.

"As far as I am aware, it has no official name. It is still very much in use by an elderly martial artist named Genkai. Apparently, it was once a place where many fighters trained, but has long since been the home of one particularly cantankerous old woman." A smile tugged at the corners of my lips at the memory of the irritable Genkai. "Shuichi collected his plant samples, and I spent some time learning from Genkai. It was a productive day for us both."

Asako tilted her head, sharing a brief glance with the other girl.

"You said you had started taking lessons at your regular dojo. Is something wrong there?" she asked with a guileless tone. I shrugged.

"My old Sensei cannot teach anymore. His health is poor. But Genkai, while old, is rather spritely and has much to teach me. I think I will make frequent trips up to see her, perhaps with Shuichi again. We may even go camping one of these weekends."

An entire night with the pack in the Dark Forest, with or without Kurama, was something I had been planning for some time. Perhaps there, I might find my dreams taking more natural turns than they have been lately. Last night, for instance. It was another scene from memory, playing out exactly as I remembered it up until a point near the end. It was like the dream with Mika, the one that began my nightly disturbances.

_~Standing outside the bedroom door, I counted the breaths I took and waited for them to be silent enough. One could never be too careful, after all. Perhaps my prey was a light sleeper and the slightest noise would wake him. I knew only his habits during the waking hours, not what his life was like when his front door closed and I could no longer see him. His elderly parents were early to bed, thankfully. His lights hadn't been doused until past nine._

_I had waited until nearly ten-thirty before approaching and entering the house, had worked my way quietly down the hallway, stepping carefully and as quietly as I could. My weight being as high as it was, I tended to set off creaking stairs and floorboards more quickly and loudly than others, so the demand for slow deliberate movements was great._

_Now outside the prey's room, I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I painstakingly turned the knob and pushed. There was no squealing of the door hinges, which meant I did not need to use the can of oil stashed in the pocket of my black sweatshirt. It swung open easily, so easily that I had to hold the knob to ensure it didn't move too quickly and bump into anything. Even after the door was open and I was halfway inside, I refused to make another move, listening for any sign of disturbance._

_His even breathing was all I could hear._

_I felt my lips twitching under the thin black scarf tied over the bottom half of my face, my eyes locked onto a large sleeping form as I crept across the neat and orderly bedroom floor. The carpet lent itself to silence quite well, masking the sound of the cloth shoes sliding over its plush surface._

_I stood over him, staring down as I planned out how to approach with his particular angle of sleeping. His lips, slightly open as he snored softly, made my eyes narrow in focus on the point. It was those lips, of course, which got him into this mess in the first place. His lips, his tongue, his teeth, and throat, or really whatever else it was that was required for liars to go about their lives. His hands too were instruments of his downfall._

_The saying went that words could not hurt, but it was clear that the one who first spoke this had never had hurtful words directed at them. Or else, they were so well liked that none could speak evil of them. Of course, when you are a troublesome teenage punk like my brother, it was a given that cruel words would be slung at you from every direction. Even crueler accusations may be made yet, especially when they came from the mouths of the police. Those such words, coupled with an insatiable need to be right, can lead a man to do many things. Planting false evidence was on that list._

_Kazuma could deny his involvement all he wanted, and it would never matter. The words of the police were law, and at times the law was horribly flawed. My brother was lucky I caught onto the scheme in time, so anxious was I after the deed for which he was framed occurred._

_It was my own fault, really. I should have known better than to target someone with whom Kazuma had recently fought. My brother's blood and fibers would be all over the other punk, I should have realized. Furthermore, it was in error that I chose that particular target, considering his familial connections to the police. What could I say though, it was my very first kill for my brother. Not that he appreciated it. He mourned the boy just the same as everyone else._

_I caught the deceased prey's uncle tampering with the crime scene, taking prints off a soda can to place on a random knife, one exactly the size and shape as I had used. It had only seemed fair to use a knife then. He had once attacked Kauma with one. Now he understood the pain he would have caused._

_Lying was one thing. I did it daily, and I held it against no one who did the same. However, there was also lying for the purpose of harming Kazuma._

_With nothing more than a whispered prayer for success, I crawled over his sleeping form, my limbs spider-like to avoid disturbing him. It was fortunate his wife had left him years ago. Her presence would make this infinitely more difficult._

_I gently pulled the covers down from his chin, exposing the soft, pale throat and the pronounced collar bone. His adams apple bobbed as he shifted, and I calmly took out the ether-soaked cloth I had kept in my back pocket, carefully and quietly taking it out of the plastic bag and pressing it over his face. He was already asleep, of course, but one could never be too sure._

_He shifted, his eyes fluttering open. The struggling began soon after, confused and half-hearted at first, then more frantic, but by the time he realized his situation, it was too late. I squeezed his ribs with my knees as he attempted to buck me off, keeping his arms back when he tried to push at me. It took mere moments for him to fall back into unconsciousness, and I smirked at his disheveled appearance._

_I hurried to uncap the safety stopper to the needle, knowing time was short. An experimental push of the syringe to ensure that it would indeed inject (catching the liquid in the cloth) was all that was needed for me to continue. I lifted his earlobe, sliding the needle into the vein there which would be hidden from the examiners initially. The poison flooded his bloodstream, the syringe empty within moments._

_The rest of the plan was simple. The pufferfish from which I had extracted the tetrodotoxin was currently in a cooler box outside, hidden away in a clump of bushes. The fish would be placed in the refrigerator, poorly packaged beside the fruits I had seen him purchase just yesterday. The liver would be cut open and the contents would spill onto the fruit, not entirely noticeable. One of the apples would be missing. Once they analyzed his blood, it would be quite obvious what had happened, and if it happened to affect his parents or young son as well, then so much the better for me and my cover._

_Kazuma would surely not approve. He was so sensitive, though he may be less so considering the officer had been quite aggressive towards him and his friends. Regardless, my dear brother would be so disappointed and angry if he could see me now._

_But then, he would never know._

_I sat atop the soon-to-be corpse, holding a piece of the cotton fabric of the cloth over the tiny injection sight over the ear. Even long after the bleeding stopped, I continued to take in his warmth, curious how quickly his body would cool. Six hours was the estimated time for the poison to run its course and take full effect._

_Numbness was one of the first symptoms, not that he would be awake to enjoy it. It could be accompanied by vomiting, which would definitely kill him if I left him on his back like this. I planned to, of course, just in case. Then the paralysis would start to set in, and even if the ether wore off within that time, the poison itself would cause him to lose consciousness again. The lungs would eventually stop working as a result of paralysis. Then…_

_Well death, of course._

_It was not particularly wise of me to remain the six hours it would take to watch the man die, considering this time, the prey was not technically alone. But I would never leave immediately. There was something fulfilling about taking a long look at a job well done. There was a sense of pride, and satisfaction that filled me. I could feel it after passing a particularly grueling test. I could feel it when my attempts at genuine laughter were well-received. I could feel it when I tasted my own cooking after spending hours on preparation._

_And of course, I felt it after my two successful hunts. Only these two so far, and if all went as planned, I would have a one hundred percent success rate. That was something to be proud of._

_There was a click some distance behind me. Light broke through the darkness of the bedroom, light that was bright yellow and not the pale blue of the digital alarm clock on the bedside table._

_I had lingered too long._

_"Otou-San?"_

_The sleepy voice belonged to a child, no more than eight or nine, who stood in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes, one arm wrapped snugly around a purple stuffed dog while the other obscured his face. I could feel my eyes widening, feel my heartbeat skyrocket in just a moment. I threw myself off the officer's body and onto the floor, landing on all fours. I lunged, knife in hand, my focus on the boy's throat._

_His arm came down, fire lighting his black eyes, and I came stumbling to a halt. I tripped over the shock, landing on my knees as Kazuma pointed a finger in my face._

_**"You monster!"** He cried, face twisted into a horrible snarl. He stood there, the toy in his arms morphing into a blue cat, the hair seeming more orange, more curly than my memories dictated._

_"Zu-" I tried to speak, but he clutched the stuffed toy closer to his chest, taking a step away._

_**"Why did you do it? Why did you kill them!?"** he demanded, and I choked on words that refused to come. My chest tightened painfully and my eyes burned. **"You're a monster, you're not my sister!"**_

_"I was… just trying... to protect you," I stammered out, my breath coming short and each word leaving me as a gasp. I reached for him, his young face that I once saw every night when we shared a room. But he recoiled, nose wrinkling in disgust._

**_"Don't touch me! I hate you!"_**

_The light behind him burned brighter, sunlight emanating from his very being as the little boy grew tall, and wide, his pyjamas shifting to the sky-blue of his school uniform. The blue cat's image fluctuated as it was swallowed by the light, becoming a blazing golden sword pointed directly at my throat._

**_"I hate you!"_**

_Please no, Kazuma… Please._

_"Ka… Kazuma," I sobbed, bowing my head and waiting for the strike. "I'm sorry."~_

Disturbingly personal ending aside, this was not how I first remembered the kill. When searching my memory before, I had been outside, in some dark alley. There may even have been others with me, though the details were getting hazy. Even now, I struggled to remember how the dream usually went. But the setting, the murder weapons, the discovery afterward… Nothing was the same.

It was a disturbing thought, but I could no longer differentiate between the dream and the memory. What really happened then? Was it a silent home invasion, or a drawn out false ritual in a dingey, dirty street? Did I laugh, as I initially believed, or was it a quiet smile of satisfaction? Did I… did I kill the boy as well?

Perhaps the Dark Forest's purely malicious energy could shed some light on the matter.

"Hotaru-Chan?"

I startled, though managed to keep myself from jumping too dramatically. That voice did not belong to either of the girls, and I raised my head to find a girl standing a desk over, hands folded politely in front of her skirt.

"Yukimura," I stated, not quite sure what else to say. She gave a pleasant smile, fingers twitching in a barely noticeable sign of anticipation. Her expression, while polite, was a barely passable imitation of the real thing. I would know. "Is something wrong?"

It may seem odd that this was my initial reaction, but considering our mutual friend, it was a perfectly valid question. It took a moment for me to remember that he was gone, however, which left me completely confused as to what she could want (and left another aching reminder of the missing piece of my life).

"Oh, no, nothing like that," she said with a smile a bit less disingenuous. "I just wanted to see you before Monday to make sure you were all ready to go into your new grade. You'll be transferring into my class."

I blinked, raising a brow.

"Not Class A?" I asked, then realized that question could come across as a rude insinuation that Class B wasn't good enough. Belatedly, I realized (with a strange happiness) this would also put me in the same class as Yusuke. How he managed B and didn't land himself in C-Class with my brother and his friends I was not entirely sure. Yukimura's help was a likely factor. There was only so much I could do for Kazuma.

"No, I guess not," she said apologetically, and I rushed to correct my mistake.

"That's not a problem," I assured with a quickly manufactured smile. "I will know someone going into my new class, so that's certainly a positive."

A throat clearing nearby reminded me that we were not alone, and that my previous company was feeling a bit left out. Hitomi elbowed her friend, but I gave Yukimura an apologetic smile.

"Could this wait, possibly?" I asked her with a supplicating expression. "Perhaps I could meet you after school." She nodded, happily accepting my offer.

"Of course, I don't want to pull you away from your friends. You can stop by the teachers lounge. I just have some filing to do, being class rep and all. I'll see you then." She gave a short bow, which I reciprocated, then turned to exit the classroom. Once she was gone and out of earshot, the two girls beside me pounced on the conversation before it could creep away.

"That's lucky, isnt' it?" Hitomi said with an encouraging smile. "You'll know Yukimura-Senpai at least. I didn't know you two were friends."

"Well-" I began, not entirely sure what fabrication I would use to cover my acquaintance with the older girl, but Asako interrupted as usual. It was not terribly annoying this time.

"Wow, you know Yukimura? She's so cool! Man, I wish I was going up a class," the girl lamented with a pout. "Lucky!"

"We've met a few times, yes," I admitted. "It was usually just in passing, but I would say we are friendly."

Asako, still swooning over whatever it was she was seeing in her mind, simply sighed and slumped over onto the desk.

"You two should have lunch with us when you leave," she suggested. Surprisingly, Hitomi agreed.

"I imagine studying with someone with test scores as impressive as hers would be a big help towards our own grades. Or at least, one of our grades." That taunt did not go ignored, Asako whining childishly and being chided by the smirking Hitomi. I laughed at their antics, thinking to myself once more that leaving their unique dynamic would be quite a loss on my part. It was unavoidable, but they were so very reliable.

… … …

The school never cleared by the end of the day. Students in various clubs still milled about after cleaning their classrooms. Study groups took up the tables in the library and even the cafeteria. It was strange, then, to find that the teachers lounge was largely deserted. I looked around the first room after knocking and receiving no answer. Desks were cleared and most lights turned off. I could only imagine the teachers had gone home, or were supervising club activities.

There was a room to the far right where the lights were still on, and I could hear someone shuffling papers around, feet clanging against metal filing cabinets. I directed my feet there, coming to find Yukimura with her back to me, slightly bent over a table and sifting through manilla folders.

"Yukimura," I announced myself in a normal voice, not wanting to startle the girl. She turned her large brown eyes to me, a warm smile on her delicate features.

"Hotaru-Chan, come in," she welcomed. "You can call me Keiko, by the way. I wanted to mention that earlier, but I didn't want to come across as too forward in front of your friends."

I smiled back.

"That's alright, Keiko-Chan. They're quite enamored with you, I doubt they would have minded."

Yukimura made a strange noise. It was clearly meant to be a laugh, but the way she quickly turned her face away and the tone the laugh was in made the noise sound forced, almost bitter.

"Oh, I see," she said in a light tone, though it was obvious just by the sound that she was no longer smiling. She didn't say anything else, and I wasn't sure what I could say after such a lackluster response.

… Teenage girls…

"Was there something you needed?" I prompted after the silence stretched too long, and she waited a beat, still organizing the papers in front of her. Many were photographs or diagrams, each with lists beside them. The images and words were indecipherable from this distance.

"Ah, right," she said as though just now remembering. She nodded for me to join her, which I did with some hesitance. "Takenaka-Sensei told me this morning that you would be switching classes, and that your grades were good enough for you to run for Class Representative, if you wanted."

Ah, so that was it. She felt threatened.

"You don't need to worry, I have no interest in the position," I told her with a reassuring smile. "It's all yours. I'm a bit too busy right now to take on those duties."

I expected her to smile jovially, tell me that my decision was perfectly fine, possibly even offer the position once more as a courtesy. However, none of this happened, at least not in that order. Her face fell for a split second, a momentary dismay which was hastily obscured by a smile, more resembling a grimace. Clearly, this was meant to pass for a cheery smile.

"O-oh, that's understandable. Are you sure? I mean, there would obviously be no hard feelings, and I'm sure you would do a great job." I scoffed to myself. Now that was unlikely.

Her offer seemed entirely genuine, nothing indicating that this was the typical predatory behavior of girls this age. If anything, she was far more open and honest than I would ever have given her credit for. This placed her on the same level as Asako and Hitomi, which simply did not add up with everything else I knew about her.

If I had to hazard a guess, this sounded almost like a plea.

"Is there a reason you don't want to be class rep any longer?" I questioned slowly, calmly, without judgement. If I were to receive an answer, I would need to appear as open and accepting as possible. She shied from the question at first, predictably. It was somewhat invasive, and quite informal. However, Yukimura had just given me permission to use her first name. That indicated some level of camaraderie.

"No, I mean it's not that I don't want to be class rep," she denied, tapping the bottom of one folder to straighten the papers within. "I just want to give someone else the chance. Maybe I could have a little change of pace too, not spend so much time worrying over all this stuff."

"What else would you like to do that you don't have time for now?" I found myself genuinely curious, coming closer to lean against the desk beside her. She paused to think for a moment, then shrugged, her shoulders slumping slightly in dismay.

"I… I guess you would call it studying," she admitted, then gave me a helplessly defensive look. "But, not the class material. There's just other things I don't have time for now, what with my duties here, and chasing after Yusuke to do his-"

She stopped, looking away quickly. On this topic, at the very least, she and I understood each other well.

"He isn't here now," I reminded her. "As much as you miss him, you do have some time to yourself for the next six months."

She remained quiet for a moment, her hands holding the file limply. Soft brown eyes darkened, her bangs falling in front of them to obscure them from my vision, but I was certain they looked more shiny than they had a moment ago.

"Six months is a long time," she finally murmured. "I'm not sure I can focus on anything when I'm stuck worrying about him."

The far window was open, the distant sounds of children shouting at the playground filtering in through the dusty air. The afternoon light turned every surface it touched orange, glinting off metal drawer handles and distorting as it traveled through the fish tank in the corner of the staff room. Birds could be heard too, if one listened closely enough, and even in the autumn the room was comfortably warm, soothingly quiet with only the white noise of day to day life.

It was in this horribly pedestrian atmosphere I shared this moment with Yukimura. I knew any other normal girl might smile, offer encouragement. In fact, any normal girl would advise her to forget Yusuke, to move on and not let him define her life. Obviously, I was anything but normal, so this was advice I would never give.

Yet, she needed something, that was clear. I wasn't sure I wanted to give her anything. She was not mine to keep happy, she was Yusuke's. This girl was _his_ responsibility. I did not need to involve myself any more with her than I already had. She was already important enough to keep alive, and that level of care was the extent to which I was willing to go. Yukimura wasn't my problem, and her concerns were not my responsibility to assuage. I should never have agreed to meet with her. I should have known she would set this unwitting trap.

I needed to leave. Immediately.

"I… I understand how you feel," was what I said instead, because for some reason, I could not obey the part of me that was reasonable. It was an emotion I was unfamiliar with, something akin to longing, but not far off from kinship either. I don't remember this feeling.

"Yusuke is the only one who truly knows me. He's… he's my only friend." At my admission, she gave me a wide-eyed stare, her mouth settling into a small 'o'. "There are others, of course, like my brother, or Shuichi. I care for them, and I enjoy their company. But it's not the same. It seems with him, I don't need to try to be anyone else. He has accepted me, completely. He's just unique that way."

I finished that abhorrent speech, shutting my mouth to look away before I said something else sickeningly sentimental. No matter how true it all was, it was embarrassing to have said in front of Yukimura, of all people.

For Kazuma, I was the innocent sister, fighting for the side of good, saving lives, helping people. With Kurama, I still needed to carefully choose my words and actions. Everything regarding them was well calculated, planned out ahead of time to ensure the greatest chance of victory. My goals were always clear, if not in fluctuation, and I always achieved them. But with Yusuke…

I forgot to think when I was with him. His very existence made my time with him so easy. I forgot my goals, and I forgot to act certain ways. I was the most honest I could be with him, and I didn't even need to try.

_He_ didn't need to try.

"I met Yusuke a long time ago," Yukimura began, startling me out of my musings. "We were just little kids on the playground. He didn't have any friends back then, and I guess I just knew he needed one." She shrugged, leaning against the desk with me. I found I did not have the urge to move away from her, though I could feel the warmth coming off her skin.

"It seemed weird to people when we got older, but we always stayed friends. Him probably because he couldn't make any others. And me because… he could always see me for me." She smiled. It was almost tearful, holding a nostalgic fondness that I had little trouble understanding.

"He knows everything about me. He knows how I think, and how I feel. Everyone else just… they don't ask, and they don't listen. They just expect me to think like they do." Her voice turned bitter and I took in a quiet breath, captivated by the emotional strength conveyed in the words. Resentment, longing, anger, a sense of searching for something she knew she wouldn't find. "They just automatically assume I agree with them. They see a mature, top of her class girl who's being dragged down by her delinquent boyfriend-" she raised a hand to her mouth, eyes going wide.

"Oh- oh my… I'm so sorry!" She jumped off the table like it had bitten her, giving a deep bow in my direction. "I just started blabbering and- I'm sure you didn't want to hear all that. That was horribly rude of me!" I stared for a moment before speaking, deciding not to think about whatever I might say. It worked with him, so why not Yukimura?

"I'm friends with Yusuke. Obviously I've come to appreciate rudeness every now and then." Her face turned up with an incredulous expression, which soon broke when she began to laugh. I was pleased to note it was not the empty noise from before, and was very much a laugh I might hear when Kazuma finds something particularly hilarious. Of course, Yukimura's was far more attractive.

"He _is_ pretty rude huh? Just leaving us here like that, not even a number to call," she complained, and her voice lacked the harshness from earlier.

"I have frequent trips planned to the area he is in," I said without thinking. Stop, this is bad. Abort! _Do not engage further!_ "The one training him won't allow me to see him, but I can ask about him for you, if you would like. Then perhaps you wouldn't need to worry over him, and you would have time to do whatever it is you want."

My foolishly personal offer was met with a look of incredulity, Yukimura's eyes crinkling moments later in grateful approval. She smiled, brightly, sweetly, so happily. In an instant, all the warmth in the room seemed to focus in on her form, reflecting back out and focusing solely on me. At the center of her attention, I basked in the heat radiating from that smile. I was completely unaware of my own smile until she voiced her thanks. I simply nodded, not entirely sure what it was she had said. My senses returned to focus on her again when she gestured to the papers in the files she had just been sorting.

Was this how Yusuke felt when they first met? I could understand his attachment now, I believe. She was atypical, to put it lightly. If she could make Yusuke feel that way, she was certainly worth keeping close.

"Well, since you're here and you'll be transferring Monday, you can get a vote to count towards the _Bunkasai_." I looked down at the two pages left out, both of them with drawn diagrams depicting themes and decorations for the annual festival, which doubled as a fundraiser. The money went towards end-of-year trips to places voted on by the students, though given our school's class average in comparison to other schools, our options were limited to locations within the country. For many of the students from lower-income families, this was perfectly acceptable.

"What are the options?" I asked, leaning over the papers to peer at the descriptions. The festival was set for November third, as it was every year. Normally I would be relegated to whatever group project I had been assigned to with Asako and Hitomi, however it seemed this year I might have more free reign. Of course, this just meant more work for me.

"We agreed to hold everything on the ground floor this year, especially after someone defaced the teachers lounge last year," she pulled a face that was wholly scornful, so I was able to understand Yusuke had taken no part in that activity. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing him any year before. We certainly wouldn't be seeing him this year.

"Now we're just deciding on a theme for decor and food arrangements. We have the culinary club working with us this year so we don't have to rely on outside vendors." She gave me a gleeful smile. "It's nice that everyone's coming together for this."

"Indeed," I agreed, not sure what else to say. One option was an imitation of the _Hotaru Matsuri_, small hanging lights imitating the fireflies and pastries decorated black and yellow to simulate the blinking insects in the dark of night. All in all, it seemed fairly expensive and difficult to put together, while the second option was simpler: a display of plant life and floral arrangements, a welcoming respite from the unforgiving harshness of winter. This too could prove expensive, as many of the flowers listed as suggestions were quite out of season by November.

"They're both big undertakings," Yukimura admitted. "To be honest, I'm not sure we could pull either off, even with everyone working together. There aren't any clubs that could help us either."

I considered the two options, weighing the possibilities in my head, as well as the pros and cons of the suggestion I could make. In the end, I decided favorably, the choice not taking terribly long to make.

"The second one,_ Fuyu no Hana,_" I told her. Flowers of Winter had a nice ring to it anyhow, much better than Fireflies Second Coming.

Yukimura hummed in thought, taking up the sheet I recommended and gazing at the details with a doubtful expression.

"I think it would be pretty, and it's a great idea in theory, but how are we going to get flowers like this without them being fake? They're very insistent that the flowers be real if we go with this one, but almost all of these will be out of season." I smiled, taking the paper from her hands and pretending to skim the list of flora provided.

"I happen to know someone with a particularly green thumb. I'm certain he will help, if I ask." She gave me another impossibly sunny look, but I was more prepared for this one and so was not nearly as stunned as before.

"That's amazing! Do you know what he will charge for all this?" I sighed, not needing to falsify my look of annoyed acceptance.

"My presence at dinner with him and his mother, no doubt." Yukimura's brows disappeared under her bangs, her lips curling into a surprised smile.

"Oh? So he's a close friend?" The way she stressed the word without making it sound like a terribly obvious implication was a novelty to me. So accustomed was I to Asako's blunt innuendo's that it was a relief to encounter someone with a bit of tact. Even Hitomi was swept up in Asako's wild lack of sensitivity.

"We spend a great deal of time in one anothers company, yes," I told her, and she seemed satisfied with that answer.

"I can't wait to meet him. This is perfect!" With a proud look, she filed the remaining papers into their correct slots, closing the filing cabinets and leading the way out of the lounge. "Now that we have a rough plan, we can get everyone's input, pull resources- this is going to be spectacular!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm, following the girl to her locker to grab her school bag and switch out her shoes. We stopped by my own after, both of us leaving the school and turning left.

"You mentioned you had another interest outside of our school material," I prompted, finding myself still curious. "If you don't mind my asking…"

She looked a little surprised, perhaps impressed that I had remembered or else unprepared for the question. Then, her cheeks dusted pink and she looked away with a secretive smile.

"Oh… it's nothing really. I've just sort of… gotten really into history lately." I blinked.

"History? Japanese or foreign?" She shrugged daintily.

"Both, actually. It's funny to see what misconceptions our ancestors had about such commonplace things we take for granted. It's also pretty fun to clear up my own misconceptions about them. Did you know, nordic vikings didn't actually have horns on their helmets? But that's in all of our heads when we picture vikings, isn't it? The idea came from a costume designer who worked on an opera in 1876-"

She stopped suddenly, her blush returning in full force and her steps growing shorter as she tried to make herself seem smaller.

"Ah… sorry. You probably aren't interested in all that." I tilted my head, giving her what I hoped was a friendly smile.

"I can understand the appeal of learning the worlds history. My interest lies in psychology, personally." At that, she seemed to perk up, her gait picking up and resuming its normal pace.

"Really? That's unusual. Not in a bad way, I mean. It's actually pretty neat, I think." I nodded.

"It can be… enlightening at times. I imagine your exploration of history exposes you to our ancestors warped ways of thinking. It must be very amusing." She rolled her eyes with an exasperated smile.

"It can be, but it's not all funny things. The wars, religious persecutions, racial issues, it's all such important stuff to remember. It's valuable insight into the current state of affairs too at times." I nodded my agreement.

"It's a useful hobby. Perhaps…" I paused, but decided to continue my thought against my better judgement. "You might be interested in a collaborative study. I imagine our two interests would be compatible to create a presentation for the _Bunkasai_."

Her eyes lit up in delight, her mouth opening to give some positive reply, perhaps even offer an idea for our topic. However, our conversation was cut short when a shout pierced through the air, ringing through my ears like a war cry, and immediately alerting my body to the possibility of a threat. I allowed instinct to take over, turning to face the voice and placing myself in front of Yukimura, a protective measure Yusuke would likely appreciate.

My vision focused on the two blue uniforms first, my eyes widening in surprise when I discovered none other than Asako and Hitomi standing several yards away. They had just rounded the corner on the opposite side of the street, but strangely enough, neither of them was looking at me, or even in my direction. Both were staring with mixed reactions at a third person.

The red uniform pushed through, an arm waving enthusiastically. Blonde hair tossed about in the wind as the person increased their pace, a huge smile taking up the majority of their face. I could only stare, feeling as though my eyes might fall out of my face. The sudden shortness of breath could be explained by the shock, but my inability to move following the surprise arrival of this demon, no matter how harmless, was disconcerting.

"Tokagemaru?"

She grinned. I stood frozen.

_Kuso_.

* * *

**Keiko is MY waifu. Back the fuck off.**

**So yes, if there was any question, Keiko is not going to sit on the sidelines. Not this time. I absolutely adored writing her this chapter, and I honestly felt like after what they had shared already (to Keiko's memory, that is) she would have no problem opening up to Hotaru. Keiko strikes me as someone who is really lonely, even in the show. Her friends are just so antagonistic towards Yusuke, though not to his face. Hotaru, being at least a little like Yusuke, probably seems like a breath of fresh air. **

**College-me was a misogynistic prick, tbh. I hated Keiko for some pretty dumb reasons, I think I've said that before. Hotaru originally spent a lot of the story bashing her. Four years later and a little more maturation, I've come to respect and appreciate Keiko as a character, and this felt like the logical course of action for Hotaru. Sorry if anyone reading this doesn't like Keiko. I do, and I would marry her if I could.**

**ANNOUNCEMENT: The first chapter of the companion story, Choosing Strength, will be going up tomorrow. If you couldn't tell already, the main focus of this story will be none other that Tokagemaru Midoriko! Oh boy, it's gonna be a hell of a trip for me. I'm ready though, I've got this! (she says with a manic smile that indicates some pretty intense mental health issues that she doesn't even want to begin to explore)**

**Meow for now!**


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